The Prince and the Pea
by Chibi Chidori
Summary: Naruto plays a prank on Sasuke after reading a children's story. The outcome isn't exactly what he expected it to be. SasuNaru
1. The Prince and the Pea

**Disclaimer:** Naruto solely belongs to Kishimoto, Masashi-san (although Sasuke might debate this and claim Naruto all for himself). Also, The Princess and the Pea does **not** belong to me and is written by the great Hans Christian Andersen. Childhood memories ftw.  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Naruto plays a prank on Sasuke after reading a children's story. The outcome isn't exactly what he expected it to be. SasuNaru  
><strong>Warning:<strong> This is a Sasuke x Naruto fiction, aka a boy on boy relationship. If you are offended by this, I suggest clicking the back button. _Not Worksafe_ aka there is **material inappropriate for minors**, such as language and adult-content, hence the rating. **_Read at your own risk_**.

**Note:** No actual peas were hurt during the making of this oneshot :D And much thanks to **Riuolo** my beta! She's doing such a wonderful job!  
>P.S. Easier-to-read formatting can be found via my personal fanfiction blog; the link can be found on my profile! :) Enjoy!<p>

**~0~**

**The Prince and the Pea**

**~0~**

"**O**nly a real princess would be so sensitive!" cried Naruto, as his words grabbed the attention of the children gathered around him. Several years had passed since the Great Ninja War and with Sasuke's retrieval mission ending in success, time had found Naruto, the current _Rokudaime Hokage_ of _Konohagakure_, before a small group of children in the ninja academy's daytime program. He had always loved children and enjoyed feeding their creative minds with classic stories and whenever he had the opportunity, would race to the academy to read to the children. Today's pick was The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Anderson.

"The happy prince married her and the pea was put on exhibition at the royal museum, where you can go see it, if it hasn't been stolen. And that, children, was a true story," he ended, closing the book with his last words. He mentally snickered at the idea of a measly pea bruising a person, and beneath forty layers of mattresses and quilts no less! He looked around at the children and saw their eyes wide with wonder. He could only imagine the gears turning in their heads, before an intelligent child cried out his disbelief.

"That's stupid. How can you feel a pea under that many beds?" the boy said, crossing his arms. A stern, doubtful look settled on his facial features. Azure eyes carefully gazed at the child and noted the color of his irises, so light that they were nearly transparent and blended in with the whites of the rest of his eyes; a trait of the Hyuuga-clan, no doubt.

"Well, er…"

"Hiroki. Hyuuga, Hiroki."

"Right, Hiroki," Naruto resumed, embarrassed that he didn't know the name of the child but mentally patting himself on the back for making the (quite obvious) connection. "Well, in the book it says only royalty had sensitive skin, so I guess you and I wouldn't know if a pea was under one mattress unless we were royalty, now would we?" He saw the quick flicker of hesitation in the child's eyes and grinned; children were so naïve.

"The only way we would know is if we asked someone from royalty, like a king or queen. The feudal lords don't count," Naruto continued, seeing the Hyuuga child's doubt deflate. He sat back down before the cries of other children joined in with his own.

"That's right! Hokage-sama, we should have a class trip to a kingdom and ask a princess if she could feel a pea under her mattress!"

"No, we can't ask her that! We have to find out ourselves and put the pea there without telling her so we can know if she really turns black and blue or not!"

The group grew rowdy and Naruto chuckled to himself, allowing himself to be the background man in their enthusiasm to test the book's pea myth. Maybe it had been the lack of love he had received as a child, but Naruto always loved children; he loved to give them his attention, feed their imagination, and shower them with all his love, especially because he had none of his own. At this, his eyes went slightly out of focus before he shook himself out of the on-coming daze. Shame on him for thinking such negative thoughts! He would never trade his relationship with his lover in the world…

Even though having a child of their own _would _be nice.

"Hokage-sama?" came a wondering voice. Immediately, Naruto was drawn out of his thoughts and he met the multiple gazes that were looking at him curiously.

"Ah, sorry. So, what did you guys decide to do if this trip were to happen?" he asked them and they all immediately ambushed him with their grins.

"We decided to cut a pea in fourths and put a quarter of a pea under the princess's bed!" At this, Naruto raised a brow.

"Yeah, because we don't have twenty mattresses—" explained Hiroki.

"Or feathered quilts!"

"Or feathered quilts." Hiroki nodded, before continuing. "Because we don't have the necessary material, we decided that cutting up the pea into a smaller size would truly determine if the myth were true or not. Although the math doesn't add up, we can't really cut a pea smaller than a quarter of its size, so we're going with that." Naruto nodded, 'hmm'-ing at their conclusion before he grinned his trademark fox-like grin.

"You kids are so smart, coming up with this kind of plan! Let me tell you, when I was your age all I did was go around pulling pranks on Iruka-sensei—"

"Hokage-sama, you're getting off track!" the children unanimously shouted, a few of them rolling their eyes. They had heard stories about a mischievous young Hokage-sama from several people; teachers, the hokages (including the one mentioned), their _parents_…They really didn't need to hear it again.

Naruto smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Right, right. Well about that plan of yours…" he started, looking around to make sure he had everyone's attention. He saw all the kids lean forward, straining their ears as he lowered his voice to ignite the anticipation that was surely coursing through their veins at this very moment. He took a deep breath.

"We can't do it."

"_Ehhhh?_" came their shrieks. Naruto winced, despite bracing himself for the barrage of screeches that would make his ears bleed; never underestimate the vocal chords of pubescent children.

"Hokage-sama, you liar!" "What, why can't we do it?" "You said we were going to go on a trip!" Naruto waved his hands in front of the agitated children to attempt to calm their nerves, quieting them enough for him to get another opportunity to speak.

"I said _if _this trip were to happen. A lot of things have to be done for this trip to take place, but you can't just go pulling this prank on a princess. You guys can be arrested for endangerment, you know." Again, he was met with fierce opposition. Goodness, if he kept this up, he would be thrown out of his position as the leader of the village before someone could say _Ichiraku_ _ramen_.

"It's not a prank!"

"That's right, it's an experiment to see if she's really royalty or not!"

"Or an experiment to see if this book was really true!" Naruto face-palmed. As much as he loved children, he sometimes regretted feeding their minds too much. He couldn't see a way out of this one and hopefully delaying it continuously would eventually lead to them forgetting about this incident all together.

"Alright, alright," he muttered. "I'll do my best to try and work things out with the academy, the council, and your parents. But no promises on your pea plan, okay? I can't have you guys risking my job." His words went ignored as the children jumped in triumph before the bell rang, signaling the end of their free time with the Hokage. Naruto stood up from the stool and brushed the imaginary dust off his pants before making his way to the door to greet his former teacher.

"Iruka-sensei, I think you'll need some time to get these kids to unwind. Give my regards to Kakashi-sensei!" he said with a wave before making a quick hand motion and disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

The teacher only stared at the spot where his former student stood, wondering at what exactly happened before he heard the ruckus.

"Iruka-sensei! We're going on a trip to see a princess!" "And we're going to put a pea under her bed!" "What if she turns out to be a phony?" Auburn eyes looked at the rowdy group of children before coming across a copy of The Princess and the Pea lying on the floor and he could feel a vein pop up at the side of his temple as his blood pressure rose.

_I am _never _letting Naruto read anything to these kids again,_ Iruka thought viciously as he attempted to quiet the adolescents, grabbing the discarded book from the floor and preparing for the lesson in vain. _Feeding their minds with nonsense, I can never teach them anything after he visits. The future of Konoha is doomed_.

**~0~**

**C**hirps of crickets filled the air as the sun began to set. Naruto whistled along with the insects as he walked towards his home, groceries in hand. He opened the door to his home and set the bags on the table before taking off his robe and massaging his shoulders. After rotating his joints until he heard a satisfying pop, he stretched and proceeded to take his groceries out of the plastic bags and heated a pot full of water for tea. Sasuke was coming home a bit late tonight and immediately the cheerful grin on Naruto's face disappeared into a sullen look. He had been eating many of his dinners alone this month and to be honest…

He felt a bit lonely.

The pot began to whistle as the water inside boiled viciously. On his way to turn off the stovetop, he accidentally bumped into the table. Behind him, he heard a package fall followed by a hissing sound, similar to that of marbles being spilled all over the floor. Sighing heavily, he turned to brace himself for the mess he made only to see his kitchen floor covered with an ocean of round green peas.

Cursing, he created several shadow clones and ordered them to help him pick up the mess, to which they all complied. The multiple Narutos all squatted as they took to their bothersome task, one muttering at how much of an idiot the original was (to which the original angrily punched his clone into oblivion as a response). The blond regained his composure and picked up a single pea and placing it into a bowl before picking up another, observing it silently. Then suddenly a wicked grin graced his features as a plan struck him like lightning. He looked up to see all of his clones wearing similar looks of craftiness. They turned to him and their gazes locked. Immediately, they all started to snicker before laughing haughtily. Just because he was Hokage didn't mean he had given up pulling pranks.

Uzumaki, Naruto – number one prankster of Konoha – was back in action.

**~0~**

**H**eavy sighs escaped the man as he opened the door to his home, slightly disappointed that the lights were turned off. He bee-lined for the bathroom to wash off the scent of sweat and blood before dressing for bed. The man then slowly made his way into his shared bedroom and lifted the covers carefully so as to not wake his sleeping lover. He held his breath as the other shifted in their sleep and cursed himself for failing to be quiet and stealthy – qualities that all ninjas, especially one as high-ranking as he, must have.

"Sasuke, you're home?" He heard his lover question, slurred heavily by sleep. The Uchiha settled himself next to his lover, shifting until he found a comfortable position and planted a kiss on the blond's temple.

"I'm home, Naruto." He saw a sleepy smile as his lover attempted to blink some of the drowsiness away.

"Welcome home, Sasuke. How was the mission?"

Sasuke pulled Naruto closer to him and rested his chin atop the blond's head, breathing in deeply to take in the musk scent that was just purely Naruto. "Tiring, but it's fine. I'm home now so I'm all better." Naruto smiled, leaving light kisses on his lover's exposed collarbone.

"I'm glad you're home; I was getting lonely," he muttered. The blond felt the arms around him squeeze, almost in reassurance.

"Sorry. How was your day?" Naruto smiled and recalled the episode he had with the children and their plans. He rested his cheek on Sasuke's chest, enjoying the way his lover's body vibrated as the man chuckled out of amusement.

"I seriously worry for Konoha's future; you need to stop encouraging them especially if they're unable to carry out their plans." The blond pouted and shifted to look up into Sasuke's eyes, blowing lightly into the other's face to annoy his lover. It worked.

"Stop that."

Naruto grinned cheekily. "Stop what? Blowing air into your face or feeding the kids' imagination?"

"Both, you idiot." Naruto resumed his position and placed his cheek against Sasuke's chest once again, taking in a deep breath. He missed this smell, he missed this warmth, he missed _Sasuke_.

"It's fine. They need to start somewhere, right? Everyone has dreams and, big or small, I'm going to do my best to help them. And don't worry, Konoha's future is bright. I'm the Hokage after all, aren't I?"

"That's exactly why I doubt it – Ouch!" Sasuke glowered down at his lover as the blond sent him a mischievous look; Naruto, growing irritated at Sasuke's word, bit him and was happily satisfied at the patch of skin that was turning red just under the Uchiha's collarbone.

"What are you, a dog?"

"No, I'm your awesome, amazing lover Uzumaki, Naruto-sama," he retorted, smiling. He turned to his other side so that his back met with Sasuke's chest and sighed in content as the other wrapped his arms around him.

"Naruto, are you okay?" He heard Sasuke ask hesitantly. Naruto used all his strength to not tense; he was just being a little childish. Sasuke would surely laugh.

"I'm fine, just a little lonely. I was looking at the kids and I couldn't help but wonder what our life would be like if I had been a girl and was able to give birth." He felt another squeeze from Sasuke and felt the man bury his face into his hair. Naruto laughed a little at the ticklish sensation.

"Do you regret us?"

Immediately, Naruto turned his head back, his eyes wide as he met with Sasuke's steady gaze. Azure eyes softened and he quickly pecked his lover on the lips, before the lips met again and again and again. They parted and a light rose color was dusted upon the blond's whiskered cheeks before he faced the window again.

"I have never – _will _never – regret us, Sasuke. I would never give you up for anything," he said quietly, entwining his hand with Sasuke's. He felt lips on the back of his neck and suppressed a shudder; God, just the slightest of touches would turn him on.

"Good, because even if you did, I'll make sure you never escape." Naruto could just hear the smugness in his lover's voice and laughed, his eyes growing heavy with sleep.

"I'm tired. Night, Sasuke." Another kiss, this time in his hair.

"Good night, Naruto." Azure eyes gazed out towards the window, a sly smirk crossing the once tired features before they closed in sleep.

**~0~**

**I**t was when the sun's rays hit his face that Naruto blinked before sitting up, stretching out his body as he yawned. He patted next to him only for his hand to meet a cold, empty space. He turned to see the spot that his lover previously occupied empty.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out, shuddering as his bare feet met with the cold, wooden floor. He searched mindlessly for his slippers before making his way out of the bedroom only for the scent of frying eggs to hit his nose. He patted his stomach quietly as it growled on cue.

"Sasuke?" he called out again and smiled as he saw the man peek his head from around a corner, sending him the trademark smirk.

"Morning, Naruto. Sleep well?" he asked before heading back into the kitchen. Naruto walked into the room where Sasuke was preparing them breakfast, sitting down before answering.

"I slept fine, but what about you? You usually sleep in a little bit after a late mission," he asked, silencing a voice that began to sound itself in the back of his head. _It couldn't be..._

"Hn, more or less. I couldn't really sleep so I decided to just get up and make breakfast; besides, your cooking stinks." Immediately, Naruto sent the other a glare.

"Bastard, my cooking is just fine, thank you very much! It's edible and I've been taking lessons from Iruka-sensei–"

"And it's also _very _high in sodium. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack every time I bite into your _tamago,_" the Uchiha interrupted, his smirk becoming more prominent as he saw the blond bristle in annoyance.

"Hey, I happen to like my rolled eggs salty! Just because your taste is plain and boring doesn't mean I have to eat everything plain and boring, too," Naruto muttered, crossing his arms and looking away. He heard a plate being set before him and then felt a kiss to his cheek. He turned to meet Sasuke's gaze and flushed, turning away again. Damn Sasuke and his stupid pheromones.

"Naruto." The said blond turned hastily.

"Wha–" He was silenced by a deep kiss and the two parted, a bridge of saliva connecting their lips before Naruto raised a hand to erase the trail, his face completely red. "Stupid Sasuke," he muttered before turning to his eggs and eating them with the prepared rice. The Uchiha smirked and turned off the vent above the stove before sitting in front of his lover at the table. They were encased in a comfortable silence and Naruto poked at his eggs, the voice in the back of his head returning and nagging him repeatedly. He sighed and put his chopsticks down, giving in to curiosity.

"So, uh, Sasuke…You said you couldn't sleep very well?" He glanced up to see the said man look at him curiously, continuing to munch on their morning meal.

"Hn, I wouldn't say that I couldn't sleep well, but more like I felt restless. My body didn't feel comfortable, but it's probably due to sore muscles or a buildup of lactic acid." The last few words completely flew over Naruto's head, but he had the gist of what his lover meant to continue probing.

"Did…did it feel like you couldn't sleep because something was bothering you?" Their gazes met once again before Sasuke looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the right words to describe his restlessness.

"Since you put it that way, I guess." He shrugged and resumed eating, not really paying attention to his lover's curiosity. He's had sleepless nights before, so it wasn't much of a big deal. Across the table, Naruto had stopped his motions completely as his mind started to slowly put two-and-two together. His blank gaze suddenly turned into a devious look and he resumed eating.

He wouldn't say anything to Sasuke yet, because he wasn't completely sure. But if things were heading in the direction Naruto thought it was heading, then many more restless nights were to come. He couldn't help the snicker that escaped his lips as he resumed eating, not seeing the curious glance that was sent his way. Sasuke looked up from his meal to see the blond laugh to himself quietly, a mischievous grin covering his face, and mentally sighed. He sometimes questioned his, and his lover's, sanity; his lover, who occasionally seemed to have internal conversations with himself, and for the idiot Uchiha who had fallen in love with the dunce. Sasuke looked towards Naruto once again as the laughs calmed into chuckles and felt sorry for whoever crossed paths with the blond that morning; Iruka was right.

Konoha's future was doomed.

**~0~**

**B**reakfast finished and dishes cleaned, Naruto parted ways with Sasuke and made his way down the main streets of Konoha. He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh morning air and gave a loud yawn, stretching his limbs. He looked at the passing clouds in the sky and gave a big smile.

Today was going to be a great day.

The day was still early and instead of taking the usual way into his office, Naruto opted to enter via the office window. As he climbed through, he heard a knock on the door and quickly scrambled to the chair behind his desk. He smoothed out any wrinkles and sat calmly, hands folded upon the mahogany furniture.

"Hokage-sama?" The said man paled as he recognized the voice as Haruno, Sakura's. He contemplated on leaving his office, not expecting his first victim to be the deadly medic-nin. He'd rather be alive than dead, thank you very much.

"Hokage-sama? Hoka-ugh, Naruto I'm just going to come in, all right?" He heard the door knob turn and the hinges creak as the door opened and first thought of how he needed to oil the rusty hinges. Then, he made a mental countdown. _Five, four, three, tw–_

_Pssshhhhhhh_

A sound similar to falling marbles echoed through the room as the door fully opened and the office floor was now covered in an ocean of round, green peas. Emerald eyes narrowed and sent a vicious glare towards a doe-eyed blond, who looked similar to a deer caught in head lights. Except, this 'deer' had an open mouth resembling that of a trout.

"Sa-Sakura-chan! Good morning, you're early today!" said the blond, his voice cracking due to nervousness. Slowly, the medic-nin approached the desk, her steps sounding like thunder to Naruto's ears.

"_Na-ru-to,"_ Sakura growled menacingly, pulling her sleeves up in preparation for an act of violence, no doubt. Naruto, in an act of defense, pulled his arms before him, his hands covering his face as he let out a rather feminine squeal of fright.

"Sakura, an act of violence against the hokage is _treason_!" cried the blond and he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the painful punch that was sure to come. However, nothing happened and Naruto cautiously lowered his raised limbs. He peeked between his hands to see the woman before him staring at him menacingly, arms at her side. She took a deep breath as her body shook with anger before she showed a rather forced smile.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama. Here are the papers you need to go over today." And before Naruto could blink, a large stack of documents were slammed on to the desk. He jumped in alarm and watched his friend turn and leave, pausing at the door.

"You better watch your back, Naruto. I'll be decent enough to not attack you in your own office." Sakura gave the said blond a chilling smile that sent shivers down his spine before leaving the room. The blond gave a heavy sigh and slumped back into his chair, wearily looking at the peas that covered the floor of the office. He hasn't expected that Sakura would be the first person to step into his office today. He had his hopes on Konohamaru or Kiba; he had even purposely delayed his scheduled meetings with some of the female shinobi to _avoid_ an outcome like this. Women, especially the likes of Sakura and Tsunade, were rather, for the lack of a better term, scary. Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a massive headache coming on, more from trying to figure out ways to avoid the young medic-nin than at the task of finishing his large workload.

The women in his life were _psychotic_.

**~0~**

**I**t was a few hours later that Naruto leaned back in his chair once again, whistling in satisfaction. He had just completed the pile of documents that had been given to him and managed to avoid the green-eyed medic nin for the day.

Life was good.

"Naruto-nii!" The door slammed open and the blond looked to see Konohamaru in his Chūnin gear holding a large bento box. "Let's eat, let's eat!"

The blond chuckled and quickly put the papers in a box labeled 'Finished' beside his desk, making room as his friend pulled a chair to the wooden furniture. "What's for lunch today, Konohamaru?" The teen made an interesting face before unwrapping the bento boxes and Naruto couldn't help the snort that escaped him as he peered at the lunch box's contents. It wasn't unusual, as far as lunches go, but what was interesting was that there was an overload of a certain green vegetable. That's right.

Peas.

They were in the _tamago _along with sliced scallions (to which Naruto blanched; he liked his rolled eggs simple and salty) and there was also a small scoop steamed, sitting innocently next to salad. Some were even in the salad and he heard Konohamaru sigh heavily. He raised his head, his gaze curious.

"You like peas?" Dark eyes narrowed at the amusement in the hokage's voice and he couldn't help but flush, more in embarrassment than in anger.

"I don't mind them, but last night I woke up with a bag of peas on my forehead. I don't know how they got there and my mom said she didn't buy any, but since we had them, she used them in our meals recently to get rid of them. She's overdone it a bit though, because the stupid vegetables have been in everything I've eaten today, except for the rice."

"Are you sure about that?" retorted the blond as he pointed at the rice that was uncovered last. Indeed, the steamed rice had specs of green mixed in and Konohamaru sighed for the umpteenth time that day. This would be an excellent way to get any person to get tired of a certain food so quickly. He groaned.

The blond snickered; his plan was going much better than expected, save for the mishap in the morning. He looked at the drained youth before him and, again, curiosity won him over.

"How did you sleep last night, Konohamaru?" He saw brown eyes peer at him, questioning him with a steady gaze.

"Fine-actually better than I have in a while, aside from nearly being suffocated by a bag of peas." Naruto nodded, thinking to himself quietly. Then, perhaps the incident with Sasuke this morning was just a coincidence? "Why do you ask, Naruto-nii? Do I look tired?"

The blond shook his head in a negative and grinned. "Nah, I was just curious. Let's get back to eating our green lunch!" he said playfully and watched with glee as Konohamaru slumped at the reminder of their pea-filled meal. Naruto helped himself, digging in and mentally noting how despite the pea overload, everything was still rather tasty.

"Konohamaru, give my regards to your mother for lunch today." He was met with another sigh from the younger male and they continued to eat in silence.

**~0~**

A** c**ouple of hours later, Naruto was making his way back home. He pulled his cloak closer around him as he shuddered; the temperature had dropped rather drastically as evening fell causing the blond quickened his pace. He didn't appreciate the cold or any extreme temperatures, for that matter.

He felt the familiar tingling sensation as his cold appendages began to regain warmth once he stepped inside his home. Rubbing his hands together in hope that the friction would quicken the spread of heat, he made his way into the kitchen to prepare for dinner. He hung up his cloak and checked the cabinets and the fridge, his eyes landing on an innocent bag of peas. He paused, contemplating before quickly shaking his head and reached for the package of tomatoes and meat behind the bag of vegetables. Sasuke was coming home in time for dinner today, so the meal needed to consist of tomatoes. Deciding on a simple beef, tomato, and onion stir fry as the entrée, he prepared the rice in the cooker. He looked absentmindedly at the oil spread around the frying pan as he waited it for heat and his mind wandered to other things.

Who else would be safe to prank?

Blond brows furrowed as their owner thought carefully, placing the slices of meat on to the frying pan before adding two tablespoons of soy sauce. He needed to be careful of how he would carry out his morning prank from now on; he didn't want another Sakura-incident, that was for sure.

He perked as he heard the click of the front door and smiled as his lover's voice carried through the air.

"Idiot, I'm home." Slightly annoyed with the choice of pet name, Naruto remained in front of the stove as an act of spite and felt two arms wrap around his midsection. "No welcome home kiss?"

The blond shuddered as the voice whispered seductively into his ear and resisted the urge to turn as light kisses were being placed on his neck. He concentrated on the task before him, adding in the onions and tomatoes with additional dashes of soy sauce, pepper, garlic, and a dash of sugar.

"Tomato and onion stir fry today?" Naruto could only nod. He felt another kiss upon the base of his neck before the arms removed themselves. Despite his act of rebellion, the blond felt empty as his lover's presence left the room and he sighed. _Naruto, stop being a stubborn moron and greet your lover happily. This is the first time you've had dinner together in a week!_

Determined with a fixed attitude, he greeted the Uchiha properly as the other came back into the kitchen.

"Welcome home, Sasuke." He saw the said man smirk and his eye twitched before his lips were enveloped in a chaste kiss. They parted and Naruto breathlessly watched his lover retrieve dishes and silverware from the cabinets to prepare the table.

"—Naruto." Snapping out of his daze, the said man quickly shook his head before turning back to Sasuke.

"You said something, Sasuke?" The other merely pointed to the stove that Naruto was at.

"The stir fry is starting to burn." Alarmed, he turned to the stove and indeed started to see some of the onions turn dark as they reached their limit. He quickly stirred them, lifting the pan from its heat source. Relieved to see that it was just some coatings of the onions that were blackened, he lowered the pan back to the stove and stirred for a few more minutes before turning off the fire. He brought the dish to the table and they both ate comfortably, making idle chatter (more so Naruto than Sasuke).

After an hour, Naruto stood and gathered the dishes, Sasuke helping him and they both made their way to the sink. The blond found himself in a position similar to earlier as the Uchiha's arms found their way around his waist. He gripped tightly on to a dish that was about to slip from his hands as his lover's hands made their way inside his shirt, leaving trails of kisses upon his neck and exposed shoulder blade.

"Sasuke, stop it. I can't concentra-ha…I can't concentrate," whispered Naruto, struggling to get the words out. He shuddered and dropped the plate he was holding into the sink as Sasuke's fingers flicked a nipple. His lover began to nibble on his ear and he felt his legs part as the Uchiha placed his leg between them. "Bastard, I'm-ngh-I'm going to brea-ah-break the dishes."

One pale arm removed itself from beneath the blond's shirt and, in one swift motion, lifted the hokage. Before he could retort, Naruto found his breath being stolen as Sasuke captured him in a deep kiss, their tongues meeting in a lust-filled craze. They parted briefly as the dark-haired man moved his lips against his lovers in a quiet request.

_Let's move to the bed._

Naruto couldn't resist and moments later, he felt himself being lowered to their bed. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, drawing the other into another deep kiss as the Uchiha worked to remove all of the blond's clothing. The dishes could wait until the morning.

**~0~**

**H**ours later, Sasuke had been to the training ground, taken a shower, and finished his reports for his completed missions this week. He settled himself in a comfortable kitchen chair and poured a cup of oolong tea. There were times were he had restless nights, but it wasn't the fact that he couldn't sleep that was the problem.

It was because something was _preventing _him from sleeping.

He took a sip of his tea before putting it down, thinking back to his intimate session with Naruto. Everything had gone well until he asked Naruto to ride him. When the blond complied, no matter how enticing he looked, Sasuke couldn't concentrate on the view. It felt as if there was something poking his back, and so (regretfully) he finished quickly with his lover, a little rougher than usual. He kissed Naruto to sleep as an apology before patting down his side of the bed to flatten it out. He couldn't find anything, so he nestled against his lover, but once again that irritating feeling returned. He repeated the motion of flattening out the bed before resting only to repeat the motion again a few minutes later. And he repeated it again and again and again.

Annoyed that whatever was irritating him was interrupting his sexual life and his sleep, he had quickly formed a genjutsu release motion with his hands, but found nothing wrong with his room. So, he proceeded into the kitchen to pass the time and be somewhat fruitful.

And that was how Naruto found him, glowering at all the objects in their kitchen while sipping his oolong tea.

Naruto sat at the table with his lover, pouring a glass of tea for himself. He sipped it thoughtfully. He could feel the anger radiate off his lover and wondered if it was related to their rough session last night.

"So, how'd you sleep last night?" he asked nonchalantly. Immediately, he was greeted with the famous Uchiha glare and looked away. He stood up and walked to the counter, setting his cup in the sink before walking to the door. "Geez, someone didn't get their beauty sleep last night." He quickly closed the door behind him as he exited his home, avoiding whatever had been thrown at his head. He heard a loud crash as the object collided with the door and wondered what Sasuke had shattered. He leaned against the door for a couple of moments, listening to the shards of whatever his lover had broken fall to the floor before walking to the Hokage tower. He huffed, blowing some hair out of his eyes.

"Prissy bastard."

**~0~**

**I**n a few moments, Naruto experienced a case of déjà vu and watched, in what seemed like slow motion, as the bucket of peas fell atop Sakura's head.

Again.

He didn't need to look at her to know that she was glaring as the hair on the back of his neck started to rise. "Sa-Sakura-chan! You need to stop coming in so early when you're not scheduled to come in until much later." He narrowly avoided the deadly punch that was aimed for his head and escaped through the window.

"_NARUTO, GET BACK HERE!_" Birds that were resting on the wires of the nearby telephone poles fled as the medic-nin's outraged cry shattered the peaceful morning in

Konoha. People looked up as they saw the shadow of their hokage blaze past them and sighed. Indeed, their leader was the number one surprising ninja of Konoha.

Settling down near his old training grounds, Naruto sat atop a beaten post as he observed the recently graduated genin train with their mentors. He thought back to his prank this morning and couldn't believe at how sour his luck was already; first with Sasuke's foul mood and then a repeat of yesterday morning. It would be a smart thing to not return to the office for today. Grinning as he declared that today was a day off, the blond jumped to the ground and walked around the grounds, waving at the young ninjas who noticed his presence. This place really brought back memories.

He approached the memorial clearing to see the familiar back of his former sensei and leered over his shoulder quietly.

"Naruto, it's not good to peek over one's shoulder as they're mourning the dead." Alarmed, the blond took a few steps back, hands raised in a defensive position. He observed as the jōnin clapped his hands together and bowed before meeting his gaze. "So, what can I help you with?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, not really having a purpose for approaching his former teacher before he remembered something.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei, did you sleep well last night?" The blond immediately regretted asking the question as a perverted leer replaced the neutral look on the older man's face. He unconsciously took a few steps back. Why were all of his mentors such _perverts_?

"Well, if you _must _know, I slept quite well. Iruka-chan can be such a sex fiend and his body is so lewd, always asking for more. I always get worn out because we always go for 3 or 4 rounds and his lips are so enti-"

"OKAY, okay! That's enough, Kakashi-sensei! I don't want to hear the rest!" Naruto said as he covered his ears, but the damage was already done. His mind swirled as he couldn't help but imagine a lustful gaze on his academy-teacher's face as he begged for Kakashi for more and promptly slammed his head against the closest tree. _Fucking perverted mentors, I hate them all._

**~0~**

**D**eath seemed to loom near as Kiba woke up struggling for air. He coughed and gasped for oxygen only to feel his nose plug and uncouthly blew his nose into his hand. A disgusting _pop _sound was heard and Akamaru approached him, whining.

"Wait a minute, Akamaru." Kiba inhaled deeply for a couple of minutes, refilling his deprived lungs before checking what exactly was blocking his airway. On the floor besides Akamaru were two snot-covered peas and the man cringed. _There were fucking vegetables in my nose?_ He looked around for any clues, not knowing how the offending peas made it into his room (much less his nose) before Akamaru started to whine again.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly peeved. Carefully, Kiba listened before sitting up and followed the dog to his food bowl. True to the canine's words, it was filled with peas.

"What the hell is all of this?" Slightly alarmed that his room was being taken over with the foul green vegetable, he looked in every crack for more. With the help of Akamaru, they gathered up a good handful of the peas and Kiba sat down, crossing his arms and legs as he thought to himself. _How did someone get all of this in here without my knowing?_ Off to the side, Akamaru barked and the man grew even more flustered. _No scent trails? How is that possible?_ Quickly he got up and opened his door, only to be swallowed in a shower of green peas.

_Yip, yip!_ Kiba turned to the dog, vein popping on the side of his temple as his friend sat laughing at him. "Shut up, Akamaru!" he shouted before stomping through the hallway into the kitchen, where his sister was preparing lunch.

"_Aneue! _Do you know who the fuck put all these green _things _in my room?" he shouted, holding a fistful of the offending vegetables. His sister looked at him blankly, staring at them before walking towards him. Kiba watched as his sister stared into his hand and took the peas from him before returning to the kitchen counter. She put them in a bowl before walking back, mussing her brother's hair. Two pairs of dark eyes watched as green round beans fell from the male's head and he grit his teeth, flushed with embarrassment. He could feel his eye twitching as his sister just smiled before turning away.

"No idea, Kiba." He could hear the laughter in her voice and grew more annoyed.

"Stop lying, you do know who it is! You're laughing!" She looked back at him, a brow raised.

"I can't laugh at funny things? Besides, I'm not childish enough to do something like this." With those final words, she went back to preparing lunch and Kiba's anger deflated. He grabbed the nearest chair and slouched into it, Akamaru coming to his side and rubbing his head against his thigh. He petted his friend, the motion reassuring them both, and sighed.

He was going to find whoever did this and exact revenge upon them.

Naruto sneezed and rubbed his arms, pausing as he looked to the sky. Maybe someone was talking about him? He shrugged and began to walk in the direction of the academy. It was time for him to read to the children again and he couldn't wait! Titles of story books were floating around in his head before a voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Oi, Naruto!" The said man turned towards the source and found a tired looking Shikamaru waving at him before yawning. The blond waited as the shadow-nin approached him and grinned.

"Yo, Shikamaru! What's up?" He watched the other shrug and the two resumed walking, both towards the academy. "Have something you need to do at the academy?"

The shadow-nin shrugged again, giving a large sigh before responding. "Iruka-san asked me to evaluate some of the future genin-class today. Their final exams are coming up, so we're starting to pair them off now and he wanted my opinion on the teams. It's so damn troublesome." Naruto snickered, his eyes not wavering from the street. _Shikamaru, don't ever change._

They both walked, chatting idly about random things before Naruto remembered something.

"Ah, Shikamaru, I need to ask you something. How have you been sleeping?" The shadow-nin gazed at the blond and Naruto began to feel nervous, hoping that the expression on his face wasn't suspicious.

"Fine," came the curt response. The hokage blinked and responded with a simple, "Oh" and they both continued their walk in utter silence.

If this wasn't an awkward situation, Naruto didn't know what was.

They parted ways a few moments later only for Naruto to find out that his story telling time with the children was cancelled due to their trip to the Konoha library. Frowning, Naruto began to walk towards to the training grounds once again, the day's events replaying in his head. He gripped his hair, pulling at his head before letting out a frustrated shout.

Why was _no one _responding to his pranks?

He ignored the strange looks the villagers were sending his way, most likely due to his outburst, and stomped his feet in childish temper. He had expected at least _one _person to complain about not sleeping well due to small lumps in their beds. However, the only person that complained about being unable to sleep was Sasuke, and he didn't complain about the bed at all!

"Gragh!"

The villagers continued to observe their obviously troubled Hokage. A little girl whispered to her mother, "Mama, is Hokage-sama crazy?" The mother hushed her and they resumed walking to their home.

"Pretend you didn't see anything. Crazy people are not right in the head."

"But how come he's the hokage if he's crazy, then?" The mother paused, thinking of how to answer her daughter.

"He's not always crazy, Misako."

"Why not?" Again, the mother hummed to herself, trying to come up with an answer.

"Because sometimes, love makes people crazy."

Unfortunately, that was not the case with our Uzumaki, Naruto.

He made it to the training grounds and frowned to see it empty before realizing that most of them were probably on their lunch break. He plopped onto the grass and crossed his arms, brows scrunching together as he thought about what to do next. He decided to stop with the pea-bed prank, but he needed to replace it with something. Immediately, a light bulb went off and he grinned a sinister grin before summoning his shadow clones.

"Alright, you guys, I need you to buy some stuff for me." As he explained the situation to the multiple Narutos, their curious looks all changed to one of a cunning fox. _Now **this **is going to get someone riled up._

Hours later, Kakashi was walking to the training grounds, his nose buried in the latest edition of _Icha Icha Paradise_. He had promised to meet up with Chouji to help him with an exercise he prepared for his genin team. As he approached the borders of the training grounds, the copycat nin felt the lack of friction too late as he fell on his back. He sat up, more dazed than in pain, to see what he slipped on. His eyes widened as he took in the surroundings.

Everything was covered in _peas_.

There were peas glued to the punching posts and trees, covering the surface of the small ponds, and all over the floor.

Kakashi rubbed his eyes and lightly smacked his cheeks with both hands to make sure that he was awake. He looked around again and sighed.

Yup, this was all real.

"What the hell is all this shit?" He turned to see Kiba looking around furiously. "Why are there peas here, too?" Akamaru barked loudly and growled and Kakashi concluded that they both were in a foul mood.

Guess they must've hated peas.

Kakashi stood up and dusted off whatever dirt was clinging to him before waving at the shorter man. "Yo." A feral look was sent his way and the copycat nin just grinned.

"Are you behind this prank, Kakashi?" The said man merely shook his head.

"Nope, not at all. But I gather something must've happened to you, based on how you said, 'Why are there peas here, too?'" Kakashi replied. With a wave, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind Kiba and his canine staring at the mess that was the training grounds. They both sighed; what to do now?

"_Eh_? What happened to the training grounds?" He turned to see several genin and their team leaders staring at the scene, Chouji among them. The large man approached Kiba slowly, as to not slip on the round peas.

"Kiba, what happened?" The Inuzaka shook his head.

"I have no idea, Chouji. I came here to train only to see the grounds covered in _this_." He motioned to the vegetables lying innocently on the ground in disgust. "Something like this happened in my room, too." He watched his friend shrug and then heard Akamaru bark. He turned to the dog to see him sniff at the ground before barking again. Kiba's eyes sparkled.

Finally, a lead.

"Chouji, I'll be right back," he said, leaping onto Akamaru's back. The canine rushed to the direction of where the scent was leading him and they bought grinned in glee.

_Revenge would be sweet_.

Naruto sneezed once again before looking out at Konoha from atop of the Hokage Mountain. He grinned deviously, wondering if the genin teams had arrived at the training grounds yet. He was glad that some people would be as miserable as he was today. He lied down onto the rock and his eyes closed as he took in the fresh breeze. Before he knew it, he fell asleep, the day's work taking a toll on him.

And that was how Kiba had found the blond.

They snuck up on the blond as to not wake him and both sucked in a large amount of air.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO, WAKE UP, YOU ASSHOLE!" Startled, the said man woke up to Kiba's loud scream and his companion's bark. He looked at them wide-eyed, dazed and confused, and looked around.

"What, what? Is there something wrong, is the village under attack?"

_Smack_

Naruto found himself gripping the back of his head and rubbed the sore spot where Kiba had just struck him. He looked up at the man who seemed to be satisfied at his pain and voiced his anger.

"What the hell was that for, you bastard?"

"You know full well what that was for, jerk! You covered the training grounds in peas. Out of all thing, fucking _peas_, man!" Naruto blinked owlishly, his pain forgotten. He thought he covered his tracks very well for that one.

"And another thing, were you the one who planted the peas in my room? You know, I woke up gasping for air because they were fucking _stuck up my nose!_" Naruto continued to stare at the man who ranted on and on about the misery of peas, his dog barking besides him before he decided to interrupt.

"Hey Kiba, how did you sleep?"

"Terrible because I was on the verge of _dying_, like I said earlier-"

"No, I don't mean that, before the pea-plugging-nose crap. I mean, were you sore or anything?" This stopped Kiba's rant and he paused, curious.

"Uh, no. Not that I know of; I was kind of too busy worrying about dying. Why?" Immediately Naruto shook his head fervently and stood up, seeing his change to run.

"Nothing special," he said quickly before waving at him. "Well, I have to find Sai, so I'll see you later!" The blond was gone in a cloud of smoke and Kiba felt as if he was experiencing a case of déjà vu. It was only moments ago that he was standing before the training grounds, Kakashi disappearing in a similar fashion. Immediately, he gasped as he realized he let the perpetrator get away.

"Damn you, Uzumaki!"

Naruto found the ex-ROOT member painting an image of Naruto getting squashed by a pea and the blond tried _so very hard_ to not pummel the emotionless ninja to death. The news of his prank traveled fast, it seemed. He approached the dark-haired man, who was already aware of his presence.

"Why, hello, dickless. How can I help you?" The blond ignored the offensive nickname before he asked Sai the question of the day.

"Hey, Sai, how did you sleep last night?"

"I slept well, but I did dream about something interesting." This caught the blond's interest, and dark eyes observed him before continuing.

"I dreamt of the rookie 9 going to the bathhouse and all of us discovering you were dickless-" Naruto promptly punched the man before making his way towards the center of Konoha. He found his mood getting increasingly worse as the day went on. Not due to Sai's comment on Naruto's lack of male genitalia (which was untrue), but at the fact that all of these people had the same answers; answers that he did not want to hear.

_I slept well, thank you for asking_.

Maybe Sasuke's grouchiness was just a coincidence?

Deeming his prank to be a failed one, Naruto settled into a stool at his most beloved restaurant, _Ichiraku Ramen_. He ordered his usual and rested his chin in his palm as he thought back on the day's events. All of these people were unknowingly victims of his prank, but he guessed he couldn't call them victims anymore. The only ones who truly suffered at the hands of his pea-prank-compilation were the genin and, to an extent, Konohamaru. He sighed and swirled the liquid in his teacup before taking a chug. A bowl of steaming ramen was set before him and, before the blond had a chance to snap his chopsticks, he felt a familiar surge of chakra and braced himself.

Emerald eyes gleamed in fury and their owner punched Naruto in the back of the head, smiling as he face-planted into his bowl of ramen. She patted herself at the satisfactory job before she felt an escape of chakra and watched as the man she punched disappear in a cloud of smoke. A vein popping from her head, she realized that she had just punched a clone and ordered a ramen before heading to the bathroom. Something had been scratching against her breasts since the morning and it was quite bothersome. Once she made it to the bathroom, she quickly checked the inside of her bra to see if there was anything strange. There was little lighting in the lavatory and she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but goodness, was it _annoying_.

She dug deep into her shirt to locate the source of irritation. She grinned as she found the offending object and pulled her hand out of her shirt. Unfolding her hand, her eyes narrowed on a lone pea that lay innocently in the center of her palm. She crushed it as her fury returned tenfold.

"_Naruto, you are fucking **dead** when I catch you!_"

**~0~**

**R**eaching home, Naruto closed the door and hugged himself as he felt shivers down his spine. His chakra from his shadow clone had returned to him moments ago and he could only imagine what hate-filled words were spilling from Sakura's mouth at the moment.

He stood in the hallway until his brief fright disappeared before proceeding into his house and heading into the kitchen. He looked in the pots to see miso soup that Sasuke had probably brewed before he left and heated it up, stirring it absentmindedly. Maybe it was time to just give up on the pranks for the time being.

A loud slam echoed through the house and Naruto turned to see his lover stomp into the kitchen, a fierce look on his face. So his mood hadn't improved while he was out on the mission. Dark eyes met his and they softened before their owner approached the blond quietly. The Uchiha gave him a chaste kiss, murmuring "I'm home," against his lips.

Naruto smiled before returning the kiss, deepening it. "Welcome home."

They parted as Sasuke left to change into a casual attire and Naruto went back to stirring the soup, deciding on a simple _natto-_topped steamed rice meal with pickled vegetables on the side. He prepared their dinner and set the table, waiting patiently for his lover to join him.

"A bit over-doing it on the soy beans today, aren't we?" The blond startled and met the cool gaze of his lover before looking away in panic. _Shit, don't tell me the bastard found out?_

"Miso soup with fermented beans over rice and more beans in the pickled vegetables…Did your taste change from ramen to beans?" Naruto let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and smiled.

"No, but I just didn't want to do much cooking tonight." _Good, he didn't find out_. He heard something akin to a snort escape from Sasuke and looked to see an amused expression in the other's eye. He frowned. "What?"

"You call your meals cooking, idiot?" Picking up his chopsticks, he threw it at his lover in irritation. His cooking wasn't _that _bad, honestly!

"Screw you, jerk. You can starve for all I care." Naruto began to eat, ignoring the chuckles that Sasuke emitted. He decided not to give up on his prank. Anything to get back at the bastard for mocking his cooking; who was the one that prepared dinner every night? He couldn't understand why the Uchiha couldn't just eat and not comment on his mediocre skills.

"How was your mission today?" asked the blond, knowing that it was one of the reasons why his lover arrived in such a foul mood. His mood shot up when there was a sudden decrease in room temperature and decided to push the Uchiha's buttons even more. "If I'm not mistaken, it was a brief delivery for the feudal lord, was it not?"

He watched in silent glee as the metal chopsticks Sasuke was holding started to bend as the man clenched them in his hand. He muttered quietly and Naruto strained his ears to catch the words.

"What was that?"

"I said that stupid lord asked me to deliver a stupid teddy bear. The only reason it was ranked A was because the teddy bear was adorned with a diamond collar, which is why so many bandits were after it. Can the officials in the government be any more idiotic?" Naruto snickered as an image of a fluffy teddy with a large, sparkling collar appeared in his mind. "It's not funny!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, bastard." He picked up their plates as they were done eating and headed to the sink before he was pushed to the side, his lips trapped in a strong kiss. Tan lids closed over blue eyes and Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, deepening their brief moment of intimacy.

"I'll do the dishes today, dead last," Sasuke murmured against the blond's lips, wincing as Naruto bit his lip in reply. Note to self: don't call Naruto your favorite pet names while kissing.

They parted and Sasuke turned on the faucet and began to wash the dishes. He still felt the presence of his lover behind him and smirked.

"You can go ahead and take a bath first. You don't have to wait for me, idiot." He was met with silence and Sasuke frowned, about to turn until he felt Naruto's arms wrap around his midsection.

"Naruto?" he asked, wondering what was wrong. He stood still in his embrace as he felt his lover tense before relaxing. He turned to meet bright blue eyes staring back into his own.

"Do the dishes later. I want you now." Sasuke felt himself smirk before kissing his lover, never breaking contact as they made their way into their bedroom. Now _this _was a dessert he could get used to.

**~0~**

**I**t took several minutes to take their clothes off before Sasuke was taken by surprise as his blond pushed him back down onto the bed.

"Tonight, I'm the one controlling the relationship." The Uchiha merely stared at Naruto, his cock already twitching painfully. He watched as the blond teased his entrance with lube-covered fingers, tan lids closing in delight as the hokage scissored himself. After a few painful moments for Sasuke, the blond took out his fingers and began to trail his hands down a pale chest. The dark-haired man held in a shudder as cool hands grasped his length and he watched with lidded eyes as Naruto teased him continuously. Sasuke could feel the head push in the blond's entrance slightly before being taken out again. He could feel a frustrated growl rise in his throat.

"Damn it, Naruto, stop teasing!" The blond had a sultry smirk on his face and moved himself off of his lover's length, enjoying the look of discontent on the Uchiha's face. He blew air slightly on the tip and watched as Sasuke's eyes closed in pleasure before lifting himself atop his lover's cock once more.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" he whispered, eyes hooded. He watched the said man raise himself on his elbows as he looked at the blond with a fierce gaze, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead.

"I want you." And with those three simple words, Naruto slid himself onto his lover's erection and let out a shuddered breath. He felt so _full_. Sasuke took this chance and gripped Naruto's sides, beginning to thrust upwards until the blond grasped his hands and stopped him.

"Not today, Sasuke," Naruto whispered again huskily, his eyes filled with love and passion. "I'm taking control today."

He began to go in a steady motion of lifting himself up and riding Sasuke's cock while watching his lover's expressions intently. Soon the steady motion turned into erratic bounces as Naruto began to pump himself as he impaled himself upon the Uchiha repeatedly.

"Sas-ngah-Sasuke." The man beneath him just watched, breathless and fascinated by this erotic creature riding him and they shifted slightly to the right on the bed. Suddenly, the lust-filled expression disappeared and was replaced with a look of anger.

"There it is again, that feeling!" Naruto abruptly stopped, still in a lustful daze.

"Hah…Sasuke, what's wrong?" He struggled to get out. "If you didn't notice, we're in the middle of sex."

"There's this feeling that something's stabbing my back!" Sasuke responded, immensely annoyed at the fact that whatever was bothering him had interrupted his sex life. The mood shattered as Naruto bursted out in laughter, daze erased. He lifted himself off Sasuke before shoving his lover aside despite the other's protests and lifted the mattress.

"Idiot, what are you doing?" Sasuke questioned before he stopped as Naruto pulled out a pea with a triumphant smirk. "What is _that_?"

The blond placed his hand between them as he showed the pea to his lover, grinning from ear to ear. _I can't believe this actually worked! _Despite Naruto's glee, Sasuke was still heavily confused and voiced his question again.

"What is that pea doing under the mattress?" He stopped as Naruto gave him a devious look and he mentally face-palmed, seeing where this was going.

"This is what had been bothering you this entire week, Sasuke. You remember how I told you about the kids wanting to pull the pea prank on the princess? Well, since you're a royal stick-up-the-butt bastard, I figured it'd be good to try it out on you." The blond ignored the Uchiha glare and continued, "Turns out I was right; you are a bastard prince." Sasuke shifted his glare to the pea and then back to Naruto.

"So, all this time, the thing that was bothering me from a good sleep and a good fuck was a stupid _pea_?"

"Yup." Sasuke glare increased tenfold as Naruto's grin turned cheekier. He immediately knocked the offending vegetable out of the blond's hand before pulling the other towards him.

"Hey, wha-" The Uchiha cut off his lover with a kiss as he pushed Naruto back down onto the mattress, stealing the blond's breath. They parted and, before Naruto had a chance to utter another word, their lips met again. Sasuke's hand roamed down the chest of the blond, flicking a nipple. He felt delighted when he earned a pleasured cry and, using the opportunity, carefully slid back inside his lover, who was still wet from their previously interrupted escapade.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, _Sasuke_!" He heard his lover cry. Naruto's eyes were clenched shut as he tightly gripped the blanket, feeling the fullness of his lover. Never _ever _would he give Sasuke up for anything; not in a million years. The Uchiha lowered his head, placing soft kisses upon the blond's face, and started a slow pace.

"Naruto," he muttered repeatedly. His pace began to quicken, shifting their angles which made Naruto gasp out in pleasure as his prostrate was suddenly stimulated. The blond brought his arms around Sasuke's neck and their lips met in another kiss, the thrusts only quickening as they both began to reach their peak. Sasuke wrapped one of his hands around Naruto's cock, pumping it as his thrusts grew erratic.

"Naruto, Naruto, Naruto…" he said breathily. Their gazes met briefly before azure eyes closed in orgasmic pleasure.

"Sa-ah! Sasuke!" the blond cried out as he came, his white fluids covering their stomachs. Sasuke clenched his eyes and bit Naruto lightly as he felt his lover clench down on him and soon followed, hearing the blond shudder as he coated his insides with semen. The arm that was supporting Sasuke suddenly grew limp and the Uchiha collapsed on top of his lover, their breath harsh and the air smelling of sex. Slowly, he pulled out, wincing as he heard a slight 'plop' before he saw his semen fall from Naruto's puckered entrance. He suppressed his desires which began to rise again at the erotic sight. He lay beside Naruto, embracing his lover and closing his eyes before taking in the other's deep scent. The blond was his and _only_ his.

"Sasuke, I love you." He felt, rather than heard, the whispered words across his skin. The said man opened his eyes to meet Naruto's gaze, blue eyes filled with warmth and love and he felt his breath escape him; Naruto looked _beautiful_. Sasuke closed the distance between them, encasing his lover in another deep kiss before parting and then planting another light one.

"I love you, too," he replied, reaching over his lover quickly to turn off the lights before resting back beneath the covers. Black met blue and the two grinned (or rather, one grinned and the other smirked) before they kissed and embraced, quickly falling to sleep.

And on the floor besides the nightstand, the pea lay alone and forgotten.

**End**

**~The Prince and the Pea – Completed 01.04.11~**

**Chibi Chidori's Nonsense:**

Hehe, so on April Fool's Day, I finish this wonderful oneshot, The Prince and the Pea. This actually came to me while I was sleeping. I like to have things under my pillow (because my pillow is super fluffy and I don't feel anything) but I woke up with a bruise one morning and wondered where it came from, only to feel something poking my shoulder blade. Turns out it was a penny under my mattress blanket (something that covers the bed sheet to avoid direct contact with the sheets) and I was surprised that I was so sensitive to that, considering my mattress blanket is a good 2 inches thick. So I figured, why not write something similar via Naruto-verse and voila! You have the creation of this oneshot!

I had so much fun writing this and I despite it being a oneshot, I'm going to write a companion chapter to this. It's not going to be a separate fic or a sequel, but a mere companion chapter which can be read either together or separate so it doesn't really continue the story. It's half written, but who knows when I'll finish it since graduation is approaching soon (and I also have my final intern reports to do before I head to graduate school.) It took me forever to finish this one (a couple of weeks, haha).

Anyhow, I'm digressing. I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this! Look forward to the companion chapter (which will be updated with this fic!)

Thank you all for reading and thank you to those who review! Criticism or just commenting on how much you liked it is always appreciated! :)

Cheers!

Chibi Chidori


	2. The Princes and the Pea

Welcome to the **Prince and the Pea** companion story! Hope you enjoy this one too! This is dedicated to my wonderful beta **Riuolo**, who I also thank for her wonderful work. It's a (very, very) late birthday present from me. :D (Sorry it's not on time!)

**Disclaimer**: Naruto solely belongs to Kishimoto, Masashi-san (although a certain person might debate this and claim Naruto all for himself). Also, The Princess and the Pea does not belong to me and is written by the great Hans Christian Andersen.

Content Disclosure: This is a Sasuke x Naruto fiction. If this pairing is not your cup of tea, please hit the back button. This is also _not work safe_ aka there is material inappropriate for minors, such as language and adult-content (sex), hence the rating. _**Read at your own risk**_.

Note: This is a _separate_ companion story, **not at all related to the previous chapter**. It is set in a modern kingdom. Hence, they have cars, electricity, plumbing, etc. Also, no actual peas were hurt in the making of this story.

**~0~**

**The Prince(s) and the Pea**

**~0~**

**B**lue eyes narrowed in annoyance as their owner stared at the plate that was set before him. A sigh escaped pink lips before the man grabbed his fork lazily and moved the peas on his plate in a circular motion.

He _hated _peas.

"Naruto, don't play with your food," a voice scolded. Rolling his eyes, the said man placed his fork down before resting his chin in his hand. "Elbows off the table, dear."

"Mother, if I'm not mistaken, we are eating dinner, not having a lesson on proper dinner etiquette," he shot back, complying none-the-less. Half the time he wanted to be a mere peasant just to have the freedom he always dreamed of having.

"I wouldn't be reminding you of your manners if you practiced them in the first place," his mother retorted. "Now eat up all of your vegetables!" Rolling his eyes once again, Naruto went back to moving the vegetables around the plate like they were the plague before observing his parents. His father had not said a word in the entire ordeal. Then he paused in his motions, not because of the deathly glares his mother was sending him, but because he began to think.

_Why_ did his father marry his mother anyhow?

He looked quickly between the two and began to compare their physical attributes and personality traits in his head.

Naruto's main (and most apparent) attributes were that of his father's; blond hair, blue eyes, and a tan complexion. However, his father's hair was lengthier and his eyes sharper than his own. Kushina, his mother, had fiery red hair and striking green eyes. Her features were soft and her eyes round, a trait that was passed on to her son. The only physical attribute that the couple shared was their slight tan complexion.

Their personalities differed as well. Minato was quiet and only spoke when necessary. He was strict, stern, and extremely hardworking, but the man held a kind heart and loved his people greatly. He was also greatly fond of nature. His wife, on the other hand, loved to talk peoples' ears off. She played pranks and loved humorous and witty jokes, although she was a bit of a neat freak and a stickler for manners. But like her husband, she too was kind and loved people greatly. She acquired her husband's passion for nature and tended to her own garden; she would not let a servant touch or water it.

"More water, sir?" their server asked, a pitcher in hand. The blond was quickly brought out of his dwellings and smiled, shaking his head in a negative.

"No, thank you. I'm finished with my meal."

"Naruto, you barely touched your food! You need to eat and stay healthy; we can't have a sickly prince!" Naruto wanted to slam his head into the table, but he rethought the action, deeming it would only bring more nagging. _Prince this, prince that… Oh please, just shut up._

And in case you missed the memo, Naruto was the only child of King Minato and Queen Kushina, prince of the Uzumaki kingdom.

The blond remained at the table until his parents left and hastily told the nearest tender to remove his plate. He slid out of his chair and made his way up to his room, sitting on the extended windowsill. Because it was his favorite spot in the room, the elongated ledge was customized with comfort in mind. The cushion pads were so cozy that the prince often found himself falling asleep there. Blue eyes looked out at the sky, searching for constellations. He frowned upon seeing dark clouds instead and shuffled back to his bed.

He wasn't particularly fond of storms.

A knock sounded at his door and Naruto turned, giving the person permission to enter. He watched his father step into the room quietly. The king motioned for his son to come closer before sitting in a chair.

"Naruto, I have something to talk to you about." Minato looked at his son who nodded in response before continuing.

"Now you know that you're soon coming of age for marriage. Not only will you replace me on the throne, but you need to pick your future queen from the bride-elects that we have chosen for you." Most of what his father just said flew by over his head until he heard the words 'bride-elects.'

"Wait, what? I have to _choose_ my bride? I thought you already arranged my marriage from birth!" This was the normal tradition of the Uzumaki family; they had close relations with most of the neighboring kingdoms and arranged marriages by birth in order to keep matters peaceful. Naruto watched his father sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. The man seemed to think for a few moments before he made eye contact with his son.

"There was a slight change in circumstances so the engagement was cancelled. However, one of the children from the Uchiha Kingdom will come visit us tomorrow to help you choose a bride elect before discussing future matters relating to the kingdom." Naruto blanched; although his parents were on good, even great, terms with the Uchihas, he didn't exactly have the same train of thought. He heard from many of his friends that the Uchiha children were high-maintenance, stuck up, and acted like spoiled princesses. He was glad he wasn't going to be marrying one of those girls.

The thought of his parents not arranging a marriage between him and a daughter of their closest friends never occurred as strange to him.

He nodded and bid his father a good night. He waited for the older man to leave before sighing. He looked out the window as the sound of the rain began to steady in a rhythmic beat. He stood up and headed towards his bed, jumping slightly at the sound of thunder. He raced the rest of the way and gathered himself underneath the covers and snuggled the fabric closer to himself.

He just hoped that by morning the weather would clean up.

**~C~**

**H**earing the noise of his servants bustling about, Naruto reluctantly sat up on his bed. He remained in that position for a moment, dazed with sleep. He rubbed his eyes to focus and stretched lazily, yawning. Scratching at his stomach, he chuckled to himself as it growled. What a marvelous way to wake up.

_BOOM_

Naruto fell off the bed, startled at the sudden sound of thunder. It seemed to echo through the room and he paled, ever so slightly, as he felt the bed tremor from the vibrations. The light that filtered into his room from beneath the doors flickered on and off. He took a breath before sliding into his slippers and hurrying into the hallway. The servants were hustling about, seeming unusually busy. He grabbed the attention of the nearest maid.

"Hey, why is it so busy around here?" he questioned. The sudden noise startled the maid, who was dusting a decorating vase, and she yelped as the décor was knocked over. The blond, seeing the inevitable, quickly scrambled to catch the vase before its impact with the ground. As he felt the cool porcelain within his hands, he let out a breath of relief and placed it back onto the stand. Cautiously, he stepped away and observed it to see if it was balanced before turning to the maid. He grinned as she bowed fervently and motioned for her to stop her antics.

"Thank you for your help, your highness. Forgive me for being so clumsy."

"Nonsense, it was my fault. Now, why is it so busy?" he asked again.

"We are preparing for the arrival of his highness, prince Uchiha." Naruto nodded and waved the maid to get back to her work before heading into the kitchen for food. He shook his head, mentally chiding the worker for making the mistake of calling the princess a prince. _Wouldn't want an unhappy princess, now would we?_ He blanched at the thought of a moody princess and put a hand against his growling stomach. He shrugged, stuffing thoughts about his guest to the back of his mind; he'd deal with the Uchiha brat later.

He grinned as he reached the kitchen doors and pushed them wide open. "Chouji, whip me up whatever you can make, quickly! I'm starving!" he bellowed. He sat down at the table that was occupied by a large man munching on a fruit. He looked at the prince before swallowing and slid a bowl of fruit towards the blond.

"The only thing I can serve at the moment is fruits," the chef said. He took another bite of a pear before continuing. "Almost all our stock was used in preparation for the highness, Uchiha. The servants are currently at the market to fetch more food for your highness and the majesties."

Naruto gave the cook a look, who merely shrugged off the displeased glance. Chouji had gotten used to the blond's antics a long time ago. The prince gave a sigh and grabbed an apple before heading back into the hallway. Blue eyes stared out the window, sulking at the state of the weather. The sky looked dark and ominous, paths filled with puddles, and the rain seemed to be endless. He gave another sigh, mood worsening; there was nothing more he hated than storms.

The blond trekked back to his room and erased all thoughts of going outside the palace to eat. He didn't want to go out into the downpour; it just wasn't worth it. Opening the door to his room, he stepped in and shut it quickly behind him. He dragged his feet to the window and sat, bored out of his mind. Blue eyes followed the small rivulets that started to form from the rain and he leaned against the wall. Naruto sat like that for a while, completely hypnotized by the excess moisture on his windows.

_Knock knock_

The prince sat up quickly and saw a white light as his head made impact with the wall before him. He let out a pained moan and rubbed the sore spot, cursing under his breath. He shifted a little and cursed again as he felt himself lose balance on the ledge. He hastily attempted to regain his balance but let out another cry of pain as he made contact with the floor. _Damn it, did I fall asleep?_ He rubbed his head and looked at the door with a glare, blaming the poor thing for his misfortune.

"Come in," he said softly. The door creaked open slowly and a feral looking boy with red markings on his cheeks walked in, a mutt at his heels.

"I was wondering where you were. Nobody has seen you the entire day." Naruto smiled at the lad and motioned for him to come further into the room.

"Hey, Kiba. Done tending to the horses for today?" The brunet nodded in an affirmative before sitting on a nearby couch, grabbing the apple on the table. Before the blond could let out a protest, Kiba bit into it.

"Hey, that was mine, you jerk!"

"Finders keepers, Naruto." The dark boy grinned. His canine companion barked in agreement and Naruto pouted before waving the dog over. He scratched the creature behind the ears, whispering a "'Llo, Akamaru," before refocusing his attention back to his friend.

"You owe me dinner," the blond huffed. He sent a glare the brunet's way, frowning when his friend responded with a grin. The blond watched the other eat for a few moments, his stomach growling at the sight, before he felt the slight nip from Akamaru and returned his attention back to the canine. Akamaru yipped once he caught the prince's attention and immediately laid on his back, exposing his stomach; he was just begging for a belly rub. Naruto laughed and complied, making weird noises at the mutt.

His thoughts traveled back to his friend and smiled; their relationship was an unusual one.

The two had met at the tender age of five, when Naruto received his first horse riding lesson. Kiba was the next heir of the Inuzuka clan, one well known for their excellent breeds in a variety of creatures. They also excelled in their training academy, some of the best riders and veterinarians graduating with the knowledge of their teachings. The young heir was tending to the prince's horse when the two first encountered one another. The brunet had an extreme fondness for animals, more so than the average Inuzuka.

With their like personas, they butted heads at first; both were fiery, passionate, and (unfortunately for the kingdom) devious. After a few fights, they found common ground and dubbed themselves "the pranking duo" of the Uzumaki kingdom. And the rest of their relationship just took off from there.

"So, excited to see your possible bride-to-be?" Naruto jumped slightly as he was drawn from his thoughts and blue eyes turned to meet lecherously looking dark eyes. The blond's eyes narrowed in annoyance as his friend started to move his eyebrows in a perverted manner.

"The guest is not my bride-to-be, so we're not going to do _that_," the blond said, blushing hotly. "We're discussing future relations and possible bride elects for me. However, I really don't understand why I would be discussing this matter with a princess."

Kiba shrugged. "Maybe she's already betrothed and wanted to help you choose a good candidate from the group." The blond rolled his eyes at the comment. That was not likely at all; he was almost one hundred percent sure that his parents were up to something. He could feel it.

"So, when is this spoiled princess supposed to arrive?" Naruto threw a quick glance out the window before turning back to his friend.

"She was supposed to arrive in the afternoon, but with the storm and all…I have a feeling she'll be delayed until tomorrow, with being such a 'fragile little princess.'" Kiba laughed as Naruto took a pose and curtsied.

"Your mom is going to chastise you for being misogynistic," the brunet said before standing up. "Anyhow, let me know whenever she arrives. I got to go back home; one of our jumpers is going to foal soon." He dug into his pocket before smiling satisfactorily and threw a round object at the blond. Naruto caught it instinctually, used to his friend's antics, and looked at the object in curiosity.

"What's this for?" Kiba shrugged.

"Just a little gift from me to you," he said. The blond looked at him blankly and the brunet sighed before pointing to the table. "It's for the apple I ate earlier. Besides, I heard Uchihas like those better." With a wave, Kiba walked out of the room, the door shutting behind him with a _click_.

Naruto ran his fingers around the smooth object before setting it back on the table.

_But why a tomato?_

**~I~**

**B**lue eyes shot wide open as their owner gasped for breath. Naruto huddled his blankets about his figure before running a hand through his hair. He made a face as he felt that the strands were damp with sweat. The wind howled viciously outside, lightning flashing and thunder roaring.

He hated storms.

The blond rose from his bed and walked to the windows, wanting to observe the damage that the weather had caused to the landscape. His eyes narrowed in on what looked like a car pulling away and he frowned; who would visit at this hour, let alone in a tempest? He rushed downstairs to main hallway and stood at the foot of the stairs. He watched the main door with careful eyes and gripped the banister tightly.

_What if it's some bandit?_ he thought in a panic. He jumped slightly as a sharp knock sounded. His grip tightened and he took a deep breath; no thief would knock. Another sharp knock sounded moments later, sounding a bit more hurried and impatient. Naruto approached the door and grasped the knob, opening the door slowly.

A figure soaked from head to toe by the rain stood at the entrance, gripping an equally drenched cloak tightly about him.

"Is this the Uzumaki castle?" a deep voice asked and Naruto shuddered involuntarily. His inner core seemed to shake as the baritone voice of the stranger sparked something unknown in him. He shook his head before directing his attention back to the man.

"Yes, but who are you, if I may ask?" The man sent him a glare and gave a small shiver as a gust of wind blew against him.

"Do you mind if I step in before I answer that? I really don't enjoy the idea of getting hypothermia, idiot." Naruto frowned and pushed down the jab of irritation. He hesitantly stepped aside, not totally accepting the idea to let a total stranger into his home. He called for a servant to bring a towel and guided the stranger into the family room, where a fire was lit.

He patiently waited for the man to dry off and fought the urge to observe intently. Saying that the stranger was attractive was a heavy understatement; he was ethereal. With pale, porcelain-like skin that looked not the least bit ghastly, dark hair and equally dark eyes that seemed to bore into one's soul, he was the epitome of beauty. Naruto had to constantly hold back a shiver every time their eyes made contact. The blond silently berated himself. Just because the guy had an enchanting face didn't make him any less of a jerk.

"So, who are you?" Naruto questioned, wetting his dry lips. His throat had become curiously dry as his eyes eventually caught the sight of the other male stripping. He controlled the urge to slam his head against the nearest wall and discreetly pinched himself as a substitute. _What is wrong with you, Naruto? Get a grip!_

"I'm sure you've heard about my arrival. I am Sasuke Uchiha, second son of his majesty Fugaku Uchiha and queen Mikoto Uchiha." At this, Naruto's thoughts of slamming his head into the wall ceased. Instead he raised a brow as his mind was thrown into confusion; _second _son? He had assumed that the children of the Uchiha line were women, with all the (unpleasant) things he'd heard about them from his friend. Though, it _did_ make more sense to discuss bride elects with a male than a female.

"Ah, welcome, Prince Uchiha," Naruto greeted warmly. He bowed to show his respect before standing upright once again. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, next in line to lead the Uzumaki Kingdom."

The Uchiha sneered at the blond once the words 'next in line' left the other's lips. "Hn, this kingdom will fall to shambles. I feel sorry for your parents; they must cry in their beds daily to have a dunce like you for a son."

Naruto felt his eye twitch; the _nerve _of this guy! He bit his lip to hold back the retort that begged to escape his throat. If there was anything his mother repeatedly drilled into him, it was to be polite to all guests, no matter how much of an ass they were. It also weighed heavily on the fact that anything rash he said could potentially endanger the friendly relations between the Uzumaki and Uchiha kingdoms.

"So, moron, are you going to supply me with extra clothes or do I have to search for them myself?" Blue eyes narrowed viciously. This was the third time this guy had insulted his intelligence. _Screw being polite!_

"Listen up, you prissy bastard. First, I am not a moron. And second, just wait patiently for your damn clothes!" Despite his spiteful words, Naruto reluctantly motioned for the guest to follow him. He started walking back to his room. As he passed a maid, he handed her Sasuke's wet clothes and asked her to dry them before opening the door to his room and beckoning the other prince inside. The pale man took a quick glance about the room before sitting down at the table near the window. He watched as the blond dug through his dresser and suppressed a shiver; he was only in a wet undershirt, boxers, and a towel. The articles of clothing weren't exactly the most warming, especially when wet.

Naruto searched around his drawers, glancing back at the other before continuing his search. The Uchiha prince was taller and a bit leaner than he was so his clothes would be a tight fit. He grinned as his eyes caught a loose-fitting shirt and an equally loose pair of slacks. He grabbed them and tossed them at his guest.

"Might not be the most elegant thing to wear, but it should do until your room and luggage is prepared." Naruto frowned as Sasuke snorted.

"I doubt anything you wear is elegant." Immediately, Naruto's mood soured once again.

"Listen, you bastard–"

"Since my parents were married to each other during my conception, I highly doubt that I am a bastard." Naruto pulled at his hair in frustration before pointing a finger in Sasuke's direction. The latter seemed to smirk in amusement, which didn't help the blond's rising anger.

"Listen, you _jerk_," he started, growing more irritable by the second as he saw the other raise a brow, smirk still plastered on his face. "I've had enough of you poking fun at me when we met barely an hour ago. You and I are complete strangers. The only knowledge that we have of each other are our names and family background. You have no right to call me an idiot or the like when you have no idea who I am." Naruto paused to take a breath and held his gaze at the other. He smiled internally as the smirk seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a cool look instead.

"Wouldn't it be the same in your case? Since we barely know each other, you also have no right to call me a jerk or the like." Naruto let out an aggravated yell as the smirk reappeared. He continued his little meltdown and approached the pale prince with the full intent to inflict pain, only to be interrupted by a knock.

"Your Highness, the guest room is prepared and all the luggage is set as well." A voice came through the door. Naruto grinned like a madman and fought the extreme urge to kiss the floor in joy. Instead he turned to his unwelcome guest.

"You hear that? Your room is ready, now get out of mine," he said, grabbing the Uchiha by the arm and pushing him out into the hallway, startling the butler. Sasuke turned as he was being shoved out the door and made eye contact with the blond.

"Hey idiot, can I have the tomato on the table?" Seconds after the pale prince crossed the doorway, a tomato went flying at his head. He caught it with ease and blinked as he felt a _whoosh_ of air. He then stepped back as the door slammed before him. He looked at the butler, who had a puzzled expression on his face and coughed. Immediately, the attendant fixed his composure and bowed.

"Follow me to the guest room, Your Highness. However, before we continue, is there anything you need?" Sasuke hummed in thought before letting a sinister smirk appear on his face.

"Tell me the prince's schedule for the day, as well as his least favorite foods." The server nodded before walking down the hall, the Uchiha right behind him and gave a sigh. For his sanity, he hoped nothing dramatic would happen between the two princes. The kingdom was still recovering from Prince Naruto's prank war with the next heir to the Inuzuka clan.

**~I~**

**N**aruto woke up and stretched, yawning lazily before settling back down on his mattress. His eyes travelled to the window and he smiled as he saw the weather; a clear blue sky with the sun shining brightly. Today was going to be a great day.

He yawned once more, stretching his entire body. He paused his motions to scratch at his exposed stomach before sitting up again. He quickly washed himself in the bathroom before heading down to the kitchen, his stomach growling during his trek.

"Chouji, what's for breakfast?" he yelled as he pushed the doors open. The said man chuckled as the prince set himself down at the table. It wasn't at all uncommon to have the prince eat in the kitchen with the rest of the servants; status didn't matter much to Naruto.

"Just a moment, Your Highness, I'm almost done." Blue eyes darted around the kitchen before they rested on the chef once again.

"Hey, Chouji…Did that ice prince eat yet?" The said main sent the blond a curious look.

"By 'ice prince', do you mean his highness, Prince Sasuke?" At Naruto's affirmative nod, the man continued. "Yes, he did. In fact, he was the one who suggested the meals for the rest of the stay and the kitchen staff was more than eager to try it out. He's currently looking for your mentors, if I'm not mistaken." He set a cup of tea before the prince to help curb the blond's appetite while he prepared breakfast.

Naruto blanched at the thought of his (recently declared) nemesis talking to his tutors. _That prick must be listing the hundreds of ways that the teachers could use to torment me_.

"Yo, Naruto," a voice called out. Naruto turned to see Kiba who was sporting his traditional feral grin and the prince returned the gesture. "I heard the Uchiha princess arrived yesterday," he said as he sat down across the blond. Almost immediately, the grin on Naruto's face turned into a scowl.

"More like a bastard prince than a royal princess," he scoffed. Kiba munched on an apple thoughtfully, swallowing before he spoke.

"Well, that solves the 'discussing bride candidates with a girl' problem! You guys can go lady searching together!" he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Naruto made a face and returned to his tea. Unlike some of the other elite families, he didn't believe in objectifying women as a gain for power. He believed in love, as sappy as it sounded. He looked at Kiba, who was currently hounding Chouji for a plate of breakfast and laughed quietly. Despite the fact that some of the things his friend said sounded like they were coming from a misogynist, the equerry really respected women. Perhaps it was due to the strong female figures he had in his life that he respected women so much. It just came out…well, wrong.

"I can't wait to fall in love one day," Kiba muttered as he sat before the prince with a plate of food. "She's going to be amazing, I just know it. And I'm going to treat her like she's the queen of the world." Naruto smiled at his friend sipped his tea quietly.

He couldn't wait to fall in love too.

**~C~**

**T**oday was just simply not his day.

After being forced to eat a pea-filled breakfast, Naruto learned that all his appointments with his tutors were cancelled. Normally, that would have the blond jumping for joy. However, Sasuke had quickly squashed whatever good feeling Naruto harbored when he announced that he would tutor him for the day. It was that and the news that the lessons were to end in a spar that had the blond so moody.

Naruto hated sparring.

"You're late," came a voice. Naruto nearly jumped and looked back at the doorway to the room he just entered from. Standing by the doorway (like a creep, in Naruto's opinion) was Sasuke. The man uncrossed his arms as he slowly approached the blond. "You were supposed to be here at 13:00. It is now 13:04."

Naruto crossed his arms and huffed. "Four minutes is no big deal. Let's just get on with it. I don't want to be here with you for a second more than necessary." Sasuke frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to quell the oncoming headache. Why did he want to do this again?

"Even if you're just a minute late, it can affect the kingdoms drastically. Time is money, and you're not just trying the patience of those meeting with you, but the residents of your kingdom as well." Naruto sulked as he listened to Sasuke's brief lecture. Whether he liked it or not, the ice prince was right. He couldn't let his dislike for the guest get in his way. Not only would he be letting his parents down, but the entire kingdom as well.

"Fine, I'm sorry. I won't be late for the next appointment," he muttered, looking at the floor. He heard Sasuke make that obnoxious 'hn' sound before looking up again. "So what are we going to do today, oh wise one?"

Sasuke raised a brow, but let the mockery slide and handed Naruto a pamphlet with notes scribbled all over it. "As the prince, it is your duty to not only entertain guests, but advertise your kingdom. It would make profits to show great touring landmarks to visitors as well as sparking the interest of potential financial partners. I've circled some areas that look interesting, so your job is to be my tour guide." The blond made a face and the Uchiha quickly continued. "I don't want you to do it reluctantly; pretend I'm one of your father's partners in military factions. Present to me why I should fund this kingdom the money it needs to protect its citizens. Explain to me why your kingdom is important to you. Remember, this tour is like a business transaction; if the buyers aren't interested, there will be no relationship and your kingdom will suffer."

Naruto sighed and took the pamphlet, sending Sasuke a quick look of contempt. He flipped open the booklet and grimaced.

"Do we have to go here?" he whined, opening up the brochure and showing the dog-eared page to the other. Internally, the Uchiha prince gave an evil smirk but steeled his exterior expression.

"Yes, we have to. One essential need in a human's life is food. We need to know what happens at the place the food is farmed from in order to make sure that the citizens are eating safe, healthy foods." Naruto gave an unhappy moan and shut the pamphlet, tucking it in his back pocket. He already hated his tour, and they haven't even started yet. He walked out the door, glancing behind him to make sure Sasuke was following him before asking a passing server to prepare the car. It was going to be a _long _day.

A few moments later, Naruto slid further into the cushioned seat of the car as they approached their destination. He winced as he read the sign and turned back to his guest.

"Do we _really _have to come here? Can't I show you another farm?" He frowned when Sasuke shook his head in a negative answer and looked at the mirror of the car. He made eye contact with his driver and silently pleaded with his eyes, hoping that the chauffeur would somehow understand the message and make a u-turn.

"Sirs, we have arrived." Damn it!

Naruto silently hoped that the leather seat would somehow open up and swallow him as he watched the chauffeur approach his side of the car. The blond debated on locking the car door before it clicked open. He looked outside cautiously, looking at the coachmen again before being shoved roughly.

"Hurry up, idiot. We don't have all day." Naruto grit his teeth and sent Sasuke a quick glare before stepping outside the vehicle. He inhaled deeply, surprisingly enjoying the fresh air. He jumped slightly as he was startled when a kind-looking man approached him. The blond noticed the scar that ran across the brunet's nose, and decided it made the man more appealing than mar his already attractive features.

"Hello, Your Highnesses! It is an honor for you to visit our humble farm!" the man said, bowing. Naruto smiled; he could already tell that the man had a very kind heart. "My name is Iruka Umino and this is my farm. It has been in my family for generations and we're known for having the best peas in the kingdom!"

The blond's smile immediately turned into more of a grimace. He absolutely _hated _peas. Blue eyes looked at the smiling man and he couldn't help but smile again; he didn't want to dishearten the man by revealing this information. Sasuke watched the interaction coolly before clearing his throat.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Umino, would you like to give us a tour of your farm? I would like to see why your peas are the kingdom's most favorite." Sasuke smirked as he saw Naruto twitch from the corner of his eye. This was just the start of his plan to make the blond's life a living hell during his stay here. If the blond was reacting just from mentioning the little bean, then he couldn't wait to see how he'd react to the other things that were planned for him.

Flustered, Iruka bowed numerous times, a blush rising to his cheeks. "Forgive me, Your Highness! I will get right to it!" The man straightened and motioned for the princes to follow him to a vehicle that resembled a golf cart. Naruto noticed something blue and looked at the sign before grinning.

"Hey, Mr. Iruka?" he called out casually. The brunet turned, curious and the blond pointed at the sign. "Is there any reason for the small dolphin in the corner of the billboard over there?"

If possible, the brunet blushed even darker and turned to the wheel, looking at his lap. "Actually, my family has always had this odd fascination with dolphins. These creatures seem to be very intelligent, so they soon became this farm's mascot," he said, growing redder with each word. Sasuke chuckled at the simple reasoning while Naruto's grin only grew.

"It's great that you seem to have some sort of dream," the blond said calmly. Slowly, Iruka looked up and smiled along with the prince.

"Yes… Ever since my parents died, I always wanted to treasure the memories we had together," the man said, a nostalgic expression falling on his face. The three remained in a comforting silence for a few moments before a nearby rooster seemed to cry snapping them all back to the present. "Pardon me! Now, shall we start the tour?" Iruka asked the two. They nodded in affirmative and he started the engine of the cart before driving away.

**~0~**

**H**e gave a big huff before falling on the ground, wincing as he fell on his rump a bit roughly. Cool dark eyes observed the panting blond and smirked.

"Is that all you got, dead last?" Blue eyes narrowed and a growl escaped the blond's throat. Naruto stood up and put his mask back in place before holding his foil up. He watched as Sasuke mirrored his movements and they both stood in a blanketed silence. Foils were held up, arms rigid before the blond stepped forward. He attempted to jab the other's torso with the weapon in vain and clicked his tongue as the Uchiha sidestepped his attack. He gave a thrust, seeing a chance for a remise, and aimed the sword at the chest before the weapon was swatted down and he clicked his tongue again. _Damn it, why is Sasuke so good at this?_

Suddenly he felt a stab at his chest and looked down to see Sasuke's foil poking his chest and groaned at the sight of his opponent's successful riposte. This was the fifth time in a row that the pale prince earned a point due to a counter after a successful parry during their match. The two bowed and stepped away. Naruto took off his mask and threw it to the dirt in disgust, plopping on the ground. No one had managed to get a point off of him from a riposte before. He was beyond irritated; he was _furious_.

Sasuke had seemed to best him at everything they had done today. After giving the said prince a small tour of the kingdom, he had pointed out what needed to be worked on. He pointed out several flaws and developed such a respectable relationship with the people that Naruto couldn't help but feel irritated at how popular the stranger had become. Not only that, but when it came time for lessons, the Uchiha had made the material far easier to understand. Not that the blond was stupid, mind you. He just has a very short attention span once he gets bored.

Naruto blinked as a hand suddenly appeared before his face. He looked up to see a smirking Sasuke before looking back at the hand.

"Good match," he said, holding his hand out to the blond. Blue eyes stared at the pale hand suspiciously before taking it. The blond felt himself being pulled up and the two stood in brief moment of silence as they made eye contact, their hands still entwined. Suddenly, a distant church bell rung and they both fell out of their stupor. Naruto blushed and shook off Sasuke's hand.

"Yeah, good match." The two gathered their equipment and headed back inside the castle. It was past dinner hours, as they had already eaten outside, and the two stood in front of the equipment room, awkwardly.

Naruto coughed, interrupting the awkward atmosphere. "Well, er…I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." Sasuke nodded, a distant look in his eyes.

"Yes, in the morning. Good night," he said before he walked away.

"Good night," Naruto whispered, noticing the lack of insult. He smiled and headed to his room, looking forward to washing the grime off of himself before heading to sleep. Maybe they could be friends after all.

**~0~**

**I**t was early in the morning when Naruto had come close to meeting death, face to face.

He was having a pleasant dream of squashing a miniature Sasuke and then suddenly, the squasher became the squashee. It had become difficult to breathe and he struggled, seeming to swim in a world of nothingness.

Sasuke watched the blond turn interesting shades of blue as he stood off to the side, an empty bag of peas in hand. He had thought that Naruto would appreciate the early visit in the morning; he even brought a snack! He snorted and looked at the floor, raising a brow in displeasure at the mess he created. The little green beans were everywhere, blanketing the entire ground. He heard the blond choke some more and focused his attention back to the blue face, wondering if he should perform CPR. He had thought the blond would have woken up by now, you know, because of the lack of oxygen?

Suddenly, blue eyes shot open and the blond sneezed, two snot-covered peas shooting out of his nose. Sasuke blanched in disgust as they landed by his feet and took a few steps back, ignoring the harsh breaths emitting from the other man.

Naruto, on the other hand, had a hand fisted on the fabric of his shirt. He tried to inhale deeply but failed and coughed instead, his breaths sounding heavy, even to his own ears. His heart beat rapidly as his body replenished itself with the much-welcomed oxygen and he sat for a moment to calm his breathing. Once he regulated himself, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling. A cough sounded from the side and he shot Sasuke a glare.

"_What the __**fuck**__ did you do?_" he screeched and the Uchiha winced. He dearly hoped that his ears weren't bleeding, because he was sure his eardrums had popped. He steeled his expression and lifted the empty bag with a smirk.

"I thought I'd be kind and visit you early in the morning with a little snack. Protein is good for growing men, after all." Naruto eyed the plastic before looking around his room (which was covered in the utterly detested peas) and put two-and-two together.

"You almost _killed _me, you bastard!" He stood up on his bed and glowered down Sasuke, who didn't even blink. Instead, the Uchiha's smirk deepened and he faced the blond directly, challenging him.

"It wasn't my fault you didn't wake up right away once your nose got plugged," he said, shrugging. "Your body should have reacted immediately."

Naruto bit back mentioning the dream of him squishing the pale prince and kicked Sasuke in the shin. He didn't bother holding back his grin as he saw the man double over in pain. Ah, revenge was sweet.

"What the hell, you moron!" The blond shrugged.

"An eye for an eye," he said, leaving the room and a furious Uchiha. Sasuke rubbed the sore spot before throwing a glare at the door Naruto had just walked out of. Oh, the blond had just declared war with him; big mistake. There was one thing Sasuke hated more than being made a fool and that was losing.

And if there was one fact that he could say proudly, it would be the fact that Sasuke Uchiha _never _loses. Ever.

**~0~**

**D**arting around corners, Naruto peeked at the hallway to make sure the coast was clear.

"Hey, do you seriously think this is going to do anything?" a skeptical voice asked from behind him. The blond immediately turned around, shushing his friend harshly.

"Be quiet! And no I'm not sure, but it's worth a try, isn't it?" Kiba shrugged and gave a sigh as his friend went back to make sure there was no one roaming the hallways.

The day had passed and it seemed the two princes had become obsessed with each other in their declared war against one another. It even seemed to one-up the prank war between the blond and himself, which was saying something. And the strange thing was, everything seemed to be pea oriented. The brunet felt a tug and looked up to see Naruto pulling on his sleeve.

"All right, there's no one in sight. Come on, we have to do this quickly or we'll get caught." The two snuck into the room and looked once more into the hallway before closing the door. Naruto approached Sasuke's bed with a snicker and motioned for Kiba to come closer. It was dinner time and all the servants were busy eating their meals, as well as his parents and Sasuke. No one should be coming this way for a while; they had timed this perfectly.

With a gentle heave, the blond lifted the bed and looked back at his friend.

"Kiba, hurry and give me the pea," he said impatiently, holding out one hand. The brunet just sighed and grabbed one from the many in the bag and handed it to his friend. Naruto smiled and placed the pea in the center of the bed before carefully resting the mattress on top of it. He grinned wickedly and turned back to Kiba. "Mission plant-a-pea is a success. Now, all we have to do is wait for mission pea-bother-guest to work."

They both made sure everything in the room was just as they found it before leaving, Naruto glancing back inside the room for good measure. He chuckled to himself before closing the door behind him. Now, what spurred this insane idea of planting a pea underneath the mattress the Uchiha was sleep on top of, you ask?

Well, it had all started around breakfast time. The day had begun calmly, for the servants of the castle at least. They were used to their prince pulling pranks on poor, unsuspecting guests. But what was unusual was that the visiting prince had participated in this recently declared 'prank war' throughout the day (although Sasuke denied it being a prank war).

It was in the morning when the Uchiha prince had barged through the kitchen doors and demanded a portion of chilled-pea soup, wanting a portion the size of three servings. Chouji, although curious at first, just silently complied. And then the chef had searched and searched for a container before the visiting prince just asked for the soup in a pot, out of frustration. Once the pot was handed over to the Uchiha, the prince had propped up a stepladder besides the door. He had climbed to the top of the steps, arms out in front of him with the pot angled so that its content threatened to spill out. The kitchen staff all stared at Sasuke, wide-eyed and held their breath. They had all thought the same thing – this could _not_ end well.

And it didn't.

"Hey, Chouji, make me something to eat! I'm _starving!_" Naruto had said, opening the kitchen doors. Sasuke had displayed an evil smirk before he emptied the pot as soon as the blond walked through the doors, shocking every person in the room. It had seemed as if time continued slowly as the last of the soup traveled from the container to Naruto's hair.

The room had gone silent and all eyes were on the blond who stood still, drenched in green goo. They all had watched as he slowly wiped the liquid off his face and looked above him, his anger slowly turning into fury at the sight of Sasuke and his devilish smirk.

"Are you full now, dunce?" Immediately Naruto had kicked the ladder in retort and grinned as the Uchiha lost his balance and fell into the green mess on the floor. Once he heard the satisfying _smack_ of Sasuke colliding with the floor, he had lunged at the man and started hitting anything he could manage to hit. Needless to say, the staff had taken a few minutes to pry the two apart as the visiting prince began to fight back.

That nasty scuffle had led to many pranks between the two. There had been clothes dying, tossing of pea-soup filled water balloons, and substituting the bath water with pea-soup to name a few. And the day's event ended with one last prank.

Which was the prank that Naruto had just pulled. The blond had overheard from a maid that the Uchiha prince was very sensitive to even the slightest bumps on his mattress. Therefore, as he was eating dinner (filled with peas, no thanks to Sasuke) he decided to plant one of the foul vegetables underneath the said man's mattress. And he just couldn't wait to see the results.

"Naruto, hurry up before someone comes!" Kiba whispered harshly, bringing the blond back to the present. Naruto let out one more grin before running to catch up with his friend.

Only time would tell what would happen next.

**~0~**

**O**nly Naruto noticed the subtle dark circles that appeared underneath his guest's eyes the next day. The said man was sitting at the dining table, looking worse for wear. Grinning, the blond approached the man. _Mission-pea-bother-guest seems to be working_.

"Had a rough night?" Naruto asks, grinning. Sasuke sent the blond a glare before groaning and waving the nearest maid over.

"Please get me a cup of the strongest coffee you have in this castle, black." The maid nodded and left the two princes alone. Naruto kept grinning, delighted at the fact that his guest looked so miserable.

"Rough night?" he asked again. This time, Sasuke just sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Maybe it was because of all the shit we pulled yesterday, but I had trouble sleeping. The bed just wasn't as welcoming as it had been the first few weeks I've been here." Defying nature, the blond's grin widened so much that Sasuke's cheeks hurt just looking at the other's face. "Don't make it so obvious that you're happy about me not getting a good night's rest, idiot."

Naruto ignored the insult, delighted that he was able to get the last laugh.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" he asked. After the pranks the two had pulled against one another yesterday, King Minato had assigned Sasuke to arrange the two's schedule for the rest of his stay. They both protested heavily, not wanting to spend any more time together, but were silenced. The king had said that it was for their own good (and crossed his fingers for luck that they'd manage to get along in the process). The two had no choice but to comply, which brings them – reluctantly – together the next day.

Sasuke thought silently to himself, rubbing his temples to rid himself of his headache. "Apparently two princesses from the neighboring kingdoms are supposed to arrive today. They are potential bride candidates, so it is our duty to entertain them."

Naruto sulked; by no means was he against entertaining his guests. He was just against the thought of entering a loveless marriage, despite telling his parents that he was all right with it. But now, at least he had the freedom to choose his bride. Perhaps he could develop a close friendship with his wife-to-be. Maybe that friendship would turn into love? He sighed; he could only hope for so much.

"What kingdoms are they from?" he asked Sasuke, wanting to take his mind off depressing thoughts.

"One is from the prestigious Hyuuga kingdom, and the other is actually the god daughter of the Queen of the Namekuji Kingdom. She's not directly related to the royal family, but because the queen has no heirs, she's second in line to the throne." The blond nodded and stretched.

"Any ideas on where to go?" Secretly, Naruto dreaded any places the Uchiha prince might have chosen, remembering their visit to the pea plant. Iruka wasn't a bad person, but being forced to sample all those pea products by Sasuke… He shuddered at the memory and felt goose-bumps rise on his arms. That was more of a nightmare than a memory.

Sasuke merely shrugged, not noticing the blond's tremor.

"I don't really entertain guests, much less girls, so I was actually wondering if you could help the planning…" he muttered, whispering the last part. Naruto leaned closer, unable to catch the final words.

"Huh, what was that?" Sasuke's cheeks turned a light pink and he looked away in embarrassment.

"I said, I was wondering if you could help out for the planning." The blond leaned back and grinned for the umpteenth time that morning. Maybe something did click together after their brutal pea-war.

"Hehe, leave it to me! I'm not known as the most surprising person in this kingdom for nothing!" Sasuke resisted the urge to face-palm. It was exactly that mentality that he was dreading.

The rest of the time they spent waiting for the princesses, Sasuke was pretty much left in the dark. Both princes had headed to the castle's library, one to "research" and the other to just spend the time reading. The silence in the library was occasionally interrupted by the blond's giggling (Yes, giggling. It was really obnoxious, in Sasuke's opinion) and whenever the Uchiha went over to ask what he had planned so far, the pale man was harshly rejected.

"It's a surprise, so you can't look at it!" protested Naruto, clutching the planner to his chest and effectively shielding it from Sasuke's view. Eventually, the man gave up asking and continued to read his book, pleading to whatever supernatural forces that were looking over him to not kill or be killed by the blond.

Naruto was still giggling into his planner when he was approached by his butler. "Your Highness, the princesses have arrived." The blond stilled his motions and looked at the server with owlish eyes before blinking.

"Oh, okay. Bring them into the waiting hall and we'll be right there," he replied. After the butler left the room, the blond turned to Sasuke who was looking directly at him. He unconsciously shivered, feeling bare under the other's unwavering gave and cleared his throat. "So, shall we go entertain our guests now?"

Sasuke sighed and closed his book before standing up. "Let's just get this over with." Naruto nodded and stood up as well, both princes exiting the room together. As they travelled to the waiting hall, the blond could feel his heart beat intensely. His pulse was ringing through his ears and he wondered if these butterflies came from the thought of meeting his potential wife. A quick glance at Sasuke caused his heart to race faster and he gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly.

Nope. But our blond prince, as loveable as he is, was totally oblivious as to the reason why his heart beat faster after looking at Sasuke.

As soon as they walked into the hall, they were greeted with two sharply contrasting colours. A bright, sharp emerald green dress was adorned by a beautiful girl with pink tresses while a soft lilac dress was adorned by an her equally elegant dark-haired friend. Naruto's right eye twitched momentarily at the sight of the pink hair (as he had no idea _why _a princess would dye her hair pink), but as the lady smiled at him all irritable thoughts left him and he returned the gesture. He and Sasuke bowed simultaneously at the two princesses, who curtsied and continued to smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir Uchiha and sir Uzumaki. My name is Sakura, niece of Queen Tsunade of the Namekuji kingdom. This is my dear friend, Princess Hinata of the Hyuuga kingdom." Hinata blushed a bright pink and curtsied once again, not making eye contact with either Naruto or Sasuke.

"A p-pleasure to meet you," she quietly whispered. Naruto strained himself to hear her voice before sighing and putting on a smile.

"Well, shall we get to it, ladies?" he asked, holding out his arm for one of them to take. Hinata shyly took the offered arm and the duo walked out the door, with Sakura and Sasuke on their heels. The latter sighed, as he saw Naruto go into the car after the princess. Sasuke felt Sakura squeeze his arm tightly and looked at her with slight disdain. He pulled slightly and loosened her grip with his free hand. She smiled at him before re-tightening her grip and he couldn't help but rub his temples. It wasn't her fault that he wasn't interested in her; he wasn't interested in anyone for that matter...

"Are you guys coming or not?" came a voice and Sasuke looked up to see Naruto poking his head out of the car. His heart jumped as the head disappeared back inside the car. He gritted his teeth as he walked over to the car, mindful to not walk faster than the princess. The blond had constantly been on his mind as of late and it was stirring up odd feelings inside of him. The prince gave a sigh and motioned for the princess to get into the vehicle before getting in after her. It was going to be an extremely long day.

**~R~**

**T**he sun was setting when the two princes made their way back to the castle.

"So, they were nice…" Naruto awkwardly stated, trying to break the silence that settled in the car. Sasuke merely threw him a glance before looking back out the window. Sure, they were nice. But Sakura was a little _too _nice for his comfort. "Hinata was a little quiet though. And by no means is this to offend Sakura, but I'm not really a huge fan of pink."

At this, Sasuke couldn't help but crack a smile. He didn't understand why the girl felt the need to dye her hair pink, but didn't ask as that was apparently her favorite colour. Whatever met her fancy was fine, as long as it didn't interfere with him in any sort of way. Naruto chose that moment to look at the other and he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the smile. He winced and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He had been feeling strange all day, and Sasuke was definitely not helping his case one bit.

"W-who do you think you see yourself with?" Naruto managed to voice, wincing again as his heart constricted painfully. The thought of Sasuke paired up with one of those girls seemed very depressing, but he had no idea why. The blond raised a hand to his forehead and checked if he felt warm. He gave a shrug as it felt normal to him and focused his attention back to Sasuke, who seemed to be contemplating the question.

"What about you?" Sasuke returned, curious. The thought of that pale-princess being married to the idiot was an oddly painful one. The feelings behind this thought were ones he didn't want to confess to, but as he looked at Naruto pondering the choices, he had no choice but to admit to himself what had happened during his short stay at the Uzumaki kingdom.

"To be honest, I really don't know," Naruto said, drawing Sasuke from his thoughts. "I mean, Hinata is a really nice girl and all, but she's too quiet for a person like me. I don't think we'd be compatible or that she'd be able to handle someone as wild as me. She seems really reserved.

"And as for Sakura," Naruto continued. "I think that she's a bit more compatible than Hinata. But I'm still confused on the whole pink-obsession situation…" Sasuke let out a chuckle and the blond sent him a smile.

"I don't think she'd be a terrible bride, however." It was at this point Sasuke felt his heart clench and held his composure. The image of Naruto being married off to that princess was terrifying. He glanced back out the window to avoid looking at the other and grit his teeth in annoyance. He didn't enjoy the fact that they were being set up with brides. What he hated even more were these uncontainable feelings that managed to sneak upon him during his stay. And it was quite ironic, really. He was sent here to help choose a bride candidate for him and yet…

Whether he liked it or not, he—Uchiha, Sasuke—had fallen in love with Naruto.

"Yeah," Sasuke said. The blond looked at him, confused.

"'Yeah', for Sakura not being a terrible bride, Hinata being quiet or Hinata being incompatible with me?" The Uchiha gave him a look before shrugging. Naruto made a sour face, before looking out the window again. "Oh, it looks like we've arrived."

The vehicle rolled to a stop and Sasuke opened the door before the chauffeur could get it. "Hey, what are you doing—" Naruto started, staring at the man's back. Sasuke paused to look at him before he grabbed the blond's wrist and pulled him along.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"Just shut up and come with me." Naruto resisted, pulling back. He looked up when Sasuke stopped and started to grin before he saw the glare on the other's face. He clamped his mouth shut and stopped resisting, falling into an even pace behind the dark-haired prince. But he couldn't help but to wonder just where he was being taken to.

As they continued their trek, the blond prince found himself getting paranoid with each passing step. The reassuring sight of the castle's towers disappeared as thick foliage blocked his view and Naruto wondered if Sasuke had noticed his clammy hands. It was only when the sun began to dip past the horizon, diminishing the little light they had, did he voice his troubles.

"Sa-Sasuke, you're not taking me into the middle of the forest to kill me, are you? I mean, I know that I've annoyed you and everything, what with the prank wars and all, but is that really worth killing me over?" Naruto stuttered, trying to slow Sasuke's pace. His voice cracked as he laughed when the other didn't even give so much as a glance. "Hey, Sasuke, I'm being serious here! I'm sorry for everything but you have to relax! They were just pranks and what will happen to you if they find my dead body-"

"Will you just shut up and follow me?" The blond stopped as he stared at the dark-haired man wide-eyed. Sasuke, who was growing irritated by Naruto's continuous babbling, had finally snapped. "No, I am not going to kill you for your stupid pranks. Now _please _stop being a moron and follow me." He resumed walking, Naruto's hand firmly in his grasp and the Uzumaki prince just followed.

"At least you said please," he muttered before staying silent the remainder of the way.

After a moment, they reached a clearing in the forest and Sasuke finally let go of Naruto's hand before plopping on the floor. The blond merely looked at the man with a raised brow and frowned as the other motioned for him to come.

"Sit," Sasuke said, patting down the space next to him. "I need to show you something." Fighting off the little voice in his head that was telling him to go as far away from the dark-haired man as possible, Naruto sat down on the grass besides him. He was alarmed with he was pulled to the ground but before he could say anything, he was immediately hushed.

"Don't talk and just look," Sasuke said, pointing to the sky beside him. The sun was completely gone, but the sky was illuminated by the millions of stars occupying the Milky Way. The view took Naruto's breath away and he turned to the man besides him.

"Sasuke, this is beautiful." The Uchiha glanced at him with a smile, before looking back at the sky.

"Just wait, it's not the best part yet." The blond blinked and looked back at the sky, waiting patiently for whatever was to come. Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he saw something flicker. He turned his head slightly to get a better view and saw it flicker again. And then, in a place besides it, he saw another light blink. He sat up and looked around, only to realize that the entire clearing was filled with fireflies. The lights seemed to frolic in the dark, mingling in an intricate dance and Naruto felt himself become entranced.

"Isn't it amazing?" Sasuke asked, sitting up. He watched the blond take in the view and marvel at the scenery before lying back onto the grass.

"You know, this is probably one of my favorite places in your kingdom," he whispered. Dark eyes gazed at Naruto, who nodded to let him know that he was listening. "It's one of the only places I can escape from the outside life – the responsibilities of being a prince." He shifted and turned so that his back was facing the other.

"Ever since I could remember, I would always be compared to my brother by everyone. I seemed to be always stuck in his shadow, but I never hated him for it. He and my parents always tried to not make me feel overwhelmed by the shoes I had to fill, despite what the citizens of our kingdom were saying. But despite all their reassurances, it's always stressful. And here, I can escape from it.

"I can just pretend that here, I'm not anyone's younger brother, prince, or political tool. I'm just me."

Naruto listened until Sasuke stopped talking. He then shuffled closer to the prince before lying down on the grass next to him, eyes looking at the stars. "I'm glad you showed me this place," he started, turning to make eye contact with the other. "I feel exactly the same way as you. I mean, I might not have a brother, but you're exactly right about how this place makes you feel. It gives you freedom, an escape from all the pains and responsibilities that we face every day, no matter how brief or fleeting the feeling of freedom may be."

The blond shifted closer until their hands were barely touching, but that was all Naruto needed. He felt reassured at the body heat that was emanating from the man next to him and couldn't help but blush. "I may not face the exact same stresses you do, but I'm not sure if I can lead the kingdom," he started, turning back to the stars. He laughed sheepishly, voice cracking slightly showing his nervousness about his revelation. "I've always loved the people in our kingdom, but I love the outdoors so much more. It's just not something I would do, being cooped up in a room all day and reading over papers. I want to go out and explore the world, but at the same time, explore it to better my own kingdom, you know?"

By this time, Naruto's hands were pressed next to Sasuke's and the contact was undeniable. The blond felt a jolt of electricity shoot up his spine and shut his eyes, clenching his mouth shut in fear of any strange noises he might emit. _God, what is happening to me?_

"Seems we're not that different after all." He heard a voice say, bringing him out of his thoughts. He turned to lock gazes with the man once again and felt his cheeks heat up. He moved his hand pressed against Sasuke's own to try and cover his embarrassment but was stopped as the other grabbed it. Naruto stared at their hands in shock before redirecting his gaze back to the Uchiha, who was staring at him intensely.

As Sasuke slowly closed the gap between them, Naruto found himself unconsciously closing his eyes. And before he knew it, the blond felt his lips entrapped in a kiss. It started soft and gentle and the lips parted for a moment before Naruto brought his free hand to bring the other closer so their lips could meet again. Their lips met and suckled, nibbled and pecked before the delicate kisses turned fierce with passion. They parted again to fill their lungs with air before joining, this time tongues meeting and saliva mixing and Naruto felt his back meet the ground as Sasuke climbed on top of him. But none of them cared as they lost themselves in the heat of the moment.

After having their lips meet numerous times, they parted and Sasuke looked down at the Uzumaki prince, a satisfied smirk on his face. Naruto looked disheveled and dazed, lips moist and swollen from his recent 'attack'. An owl hooted nearby and the Uchiha continued to gaze down at the prince before raising a brow in amusement as the other grew dark with embarrassment. He was lightly shoved off and watched as his love interest brought his hands up to his face.

"Sasuke!" He sighed at the urgent tone in Naruto's voice. Maybe the blond was a bit more dense than he had originally thought. "What the fuck was that?"

Despite his seemingly vicious words, Naruto had no courage to look at the man he had just kissed. His mind had been in a dream-like daze, only to be brought back to reality by nature's calling and it was then did he realize what he had just done. _Why the heck did I just ki-ki-do _that _with him?_

"Well, since it's no surprise that you don't know what it is since you've probably never done it before. But, what we just did right now was a kiss." Naruto's embarrassment was temporarily forgotten as he heard Sasuke's mocking voice and he quickly sat up, anger apparent in his eyes.

"I'm no idiot, I know that was a kiss!" he screeched, causing Sasuke to wince. Damn, did the blond have some strong vocals. "I mean, what the hell was that ki-ki-ki…" Sasuke watched in amusement, once again, as Naruto seemed to realize the reason for his earlier embarrassment. He flushed darker, if possible, and looked away, unable to finish the sentence.

"A kiss?" Sasuke was suddenly shoved back as he found two tan hands covering his mouth.

"Shh, don't say it so loudly!" Naruto said, looking away. He couldn't believe that Sasuke had said it so nonchalantly. Did this _kiss _mean so little to him? The blond's tense shoulders seemed to droop slightly at the idea; whether he liked it or not, just the thought of the other not feeling any emotion towards their recent action was depressing.

Sasuke noticed the change in posture and removed Naruto's hands from covering his mouth. "There's no one here to hear it, idiot. And that's what it's called, kissing. It's not a crime to say it you know." He gently pushed the blond off of him and sat up, dusting the dirt from his clothes before lending a hand to the other. "Come on, we need to start heading back."

Naruto just stared at the appendage blankly and the Uchiha rolled his eyes before grabbing the blond's arm and pulling him up. They started walking back to the castle in silence, their hands entwined and Naruto couldn't help but stare at their interlocked hands.

"Sasuke," he started. He heard a grunt from the man and chuckled before continuing on. "Why did you kiss me?"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and looked back at Naruto. He smirked and looked back towards the direction of the castle, pulling the blond along. "Hey, Sasuke, answer me. Why did you—"

"It's because I like you, idiot. Isn't that obvious?" For the umpteenth time that day, Naruto felt himself heat up and let out a small moan of embarrassment. How could Sasuke say such embarrassing things like that? Lost in his dwellings, he didn't notice the other stop and crashed into the man's back.

"Sasuke? Why'd you stop?" Suddenly, the said man turned around and gazed at Naruto intensely before embracing him in a tight hug.

"I don't know how or why, but I've come to like you. And no matter what, I'll still always like you," he whispered into the blond's ear. Naruto gripped Sasuke's clothes before resting his head against Sasuke's and returning the embrace.

"Me too, even though you're still a bastard." He felt Sasuke's body shake as the man chuckled and they stood in each other's embrace for a few moments before they returned to the castle. They both had the thought of wishing that what happened tonight could last forever.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if fate wasn't listening to their wishes.

**~0~**

**I**t was two weeks later when Itachi was sent to visit the Uzumaki kingdom. The older of the two brothers was sent to find out about Sasuke's progress in finding his bride candidate. The young prince had been gone for four months and his parents hadn't heard much from him since he had left and begun to worry.

Dark eyes looked out the window of the car and Itachi sighed. Hopefully he and his parents had nothing to worry about Sasuke, who had hopefully found his future partner by now.

Which he did; the said man was currently opening the door to Naruto's room, trying to be as quiet as possible. He carefully treaded to the bed, where a dozing figure was bundled in blankets in the center. The mattress dipped down as he sat on the edge and he leaned over, giving the blond a kiss on the cheek. He chuckled as the other groaned in his sleep and shifted closer to the sleeping prince, who turned to face him with an open eye.

"Morning, Sasuke," he said with a smile. Sasuke leaned in to give him another kiss, this time on the forehead which Naruto happily accepted.

"Morning," Sasuke responded. He lifted the sheets and moved in to shuffle closer towards the blond who hugged him around the waist. "Sleep well?"

Naruto nodded and slowly felt his eyelids droop as sleep was reaching out to him again before he was shaken awake. "As much as I would want to go back to sleep, too, you have to wake up. My brother's coming to visit your kingdom today," Sasuke said, sitting up and removing the sheets. The blond groaned and reached for them as his body shivered from the sudden loss of heat. The Uchiha smirked and patted on the mattress out of curiosity. "Your bed seems a lot more comfortable than mine," he added as an afterthought.

"Hm, you say something?" Naruto asked, yawning. Sasuke shook his head muttering a quiet 'never mind' before standing up.

"Hurry up and change so we can go grab breakfast. I'll wait for you in the dining hall." He gave the blond another kiss on the cheek before heading out the room. Naruto hummed happily as he watched the door close before stretching on his mattress. He looked outside and saw the sun shine brightly. He smiled, sitting up and giving another yawn. It was going to be a great day.

Sasuke sat down at the table and sipped the tea that was set before him. To be honest, he was a bit nervous about the fact that his brother was coming to visit. He was sure that his parents sent him to check up on what was happening with the bridal candidates. He wasn't exactly sure how to break it to them that his partner was a man and that they probably shouldn't expect any grandchildren from him. But the thought of separating with Naruto was heart wrenching and he didn't think that he could live a life separate from the blond.

"Little brother, I hope you haven't done anything to embarrass the family." Sasuke gulped down his tea in surprise and coughed as it went down the wrong pipe. He turned around to see his brother looking at him from the doorway and sat across from him at the table. "How have you been these past few months?" He muttered a quick thank you as a maid set a cup of tea before him and Sasuke watched his brother his passively.

"Fine," he replied, taking another sip of his tea, being carefully to drink it slowly. "How are mother and father?" Itachi just shrugged and the two brothers sat, sipping their tea as an awkward atmosphere blanketed the room.

"Did you meet a suitable bride candidate?" Itachi inquired, setting his cup down. It was better to get to the point now and get it over with than drag it out, which usually ended up being painful. He observed his brother who remained fixated on his tea and remained quiet. "I assume you have been doing what you were sent here to do, which was to select a bride elect for yourself and the prince of this kingdom."

Internally, Sasuke wanted to shut his brother up so badly. But he didn't show his annoyance, thanking whatever being was watching over him that he had tea to focus his attention on. "I've heard that princess Sakura has taken a great interest in you." He heard his brother continue. "Have you taken it into consideration?"

Again, the younger Uchiha shrugged. "She's not really my type, but there are more bridal candidates to choose from," he said, trying to avoid the subject. He was still trying to figure out a way to break it to his brother that he wasn't planning on picking a bride.

"Did the candidates talk to you or Prince Naruto about wanting children?"

"Well, Naruto's a guy who loves children, but he understands the sacrifices needed to be made if he wants to be in this relationship."

"What sacrifices?" Sasuke froze and bit his lip as he looked down into his tea. What was he thinking – scratch that, _was _he even thinking? How could he blurt that out so casually? "Pray, tell me, why Naruto would be unable to have children if he were to enter 'this' relationship." Two pairs of dark eyes met, both unwilling to back down.

Eventually, Sasuke gave in; he knew he couldn't win against his older brother, and it was a good a time as any to let him know what has been on his mind for two weeks. "Itachi, actually I have something to say to you."

Naruto slipped on his shoes and stood, stretching one more time. He had taken a little longer than usual in the shower, but hopefully Sasuke wouldn't get mad. He approached the dining room entrance when he heard Sasuke's voice filter through the hallway.

"Sasu-"

"Pray, tell me, why Naruto would be unable to have children if he were to enter 'this' relationship." Immediately the blond froze and hid himself, his back hitting the wall. Why were they talking about him? He peaked around the corner and saw Sasuke sitting across someone who he assumed to be Itachi, the visiting older brother. He felt a cold sweat break out on his brow as he saw Sasuke take in a deep breath.

"Itachi, actually I have something to say to you." Naruto grew nervous; was Sasuke going to tell him about their relationship? He leaned closer to the wall and strained to hear the rest of the conversation.

"I…I'm honestly not interested in any of the bridal candidates. I'm in love with Naruto." A cold feeling swept over the blond as his legs grew numb and he slowly slid to the floor in shock. _Sasuke's brother knows, _he thought. His mind was racing with all the chaos that was bound to happen, but it was still latched on to that one factor that started it all. _He knows about Sasuke and I. _His mind was still swirling when his heart seemed to stop as he realized one thing.

He and Sasuke were going to be separated.

The said man, on the other hand, was observing his brother. He wasn't sure what he expected, but he knew that he expected some sort of reaction, not this impassive, staring being. He felt his heart skip a beat as his brother stood up and walked to the window, a hand coming up to massage the bridge of his nose. "Are you serious about this, Sasuke?"

He jumped as his brother's smooth baritone voice broke through the awkward silence and he just nodded, unsure if he was confident enough to speak. The only thing he was confident in at that moment was his love for Naruto. He heard a sigh from his brother and resisted the urge to step back as his brother turned to face him, a serious look on his face. This was it, this was the moment he had been nervous about since he had heard the news that his brother was coming to visit. He didn't know what to brace himself for, but he knew he had to brace himself in some way. Maybe hold on to a chair or something…

"Sasuke, while I don't object to your love of men, you know this relationship can't work." Despite expecting the worse, there was a little hope that Sasuke (and the eavesdropping Naruto) were harboring. A place in their heart, guarded by many walls and barriers, was the hope that maybe, just _maybe_, their romance would be accepted and transform from a weak, flickering candle into an all-out blaze. But with that one comment from the older Uchiha, the candle was whipped out and a desolate look crossed Sasuke's face. He sat back in his chair and wished he had more tea to drink, to take his mind off of the events happening at that moment.

"You know that if anything happened to me, you're next in line for the throne. As the heirs to the Uchiha kingdom, it's your—_our__—_obligation to continue the line. That is the reason father and mother sent you out here to find your potential bride, not fall into some unfruitful relationship with our neighboring kingdom's only heir. And think about his situation Sasuke; he doesn't have anyone after him to take the throne. He is the only one to continue the line and his parents are counting on him to continue their kingdom."

The words washed over Sasuke like a torrential downpour and he started to sink in his seat. An unfruitful relationship is what he and Naruto were together; an unfruitful relationship. He didn't even notice his brother approaching him until the man placed a hand on his shoulder with a regretful look on his face. "Take your remaining time here to rid yourself of your feelings for him and end this relationship. Father and mother will arrive tomorrow night, so we will discuss this matter further at that time." He paused to look at his brother and continued to feel sorrow; it didn't even look like Sasuke had registered the words that were just said. His face scrunched up and he sighed before walking away. His younger brother was painful to look at right now, and probably needed some time alone.

He left the room and out of the corner of his eye saw a blond mess sitting by the entrance to the dining hall and gave another sigh. He continued to walk, choosing to let them decide for themselves what to do. He had done enough damage already, and contrary to what his brother might think, he didn't want to be the bearer of bad news; he loved his brother too much for that. But sometimes, things needed to be done for the sake of the family. He glanced back and saw the Uzumaki prince struggle to get up before heading inside the room he had just left. With a nod in their direction, he left the castle and headed to his car to make the journey back home. _Good luck, little brother._

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't aware of anything around him. _You know this relationship can't work…Rid yourself of your feelings for him and end this relationship_. As much as he knew it was coming, just hearing those words brought him to his knees and for a while, he couldn't muster the strength to stand back up. He was so lost in his thoughts of Sasuke that he didn't notice Itachi leave the room and the castle. He didn't see his servants pass him by with a look of pity and he didn't hear the clattering of a chair from inside the dining room. All he could focus on was the fact that no matter how much he wanted this relationship with the prince that he couldn't stand at first, he wouldn't be able to get it.

Eventually he found the strength to stand back up and headed back into the room, noticing the figure slumped over the dining table and laughed bitterly. If it were any other day or situation, he'd make fun of the 'perfect' Uchiha prince for his slouching figure. He slowly approached him and hugged him from behind, embracing him tighter as he felt the man tense. "Sasuke, it's me," he whispered. He felt a hand come up and grip his wrist tightly and Sasuke let out such a pained cry that Naruto's heart hurt just listening to it.

"Naruto, I… We…" the blond just hugged him tighter. The two remained in that embrace for a while before Sasuke stood up suddenly and enveloped Naruto in a hug of his own.

"I don't want to let you go," Sasuke started and the blond could feel tears well up in his eyes. "I'm not going to let you go." And as much as Naruto wanted to stay in the other's arms, he separated himself, shaking his head.

"Didn't you hear your brother, Sasuke?" He flinched as he saw the raw emotion in the said man's eyes and looked away before continuing. "You have your family and I…I have a kingdom to lead. As much as we want to, we can't abandon our responsibilities. It's not like when we were in the clearing, when it was just us. There's more at stake here than just us two and our families; there are two entire kingdoms depending on us."

Thunder sounded gently and the two looked at the rain that started to fall. Naruto looked up at Sasuke when he felt the man grasp his hand.

"If we can't have a future together, won't you give me one night then, Naruto?" he asked, his eyes emoting the need, want, and love for the blond. "Will you please let us be together for this one night…our last night?" He wiped a tear that fell from the blue eyes and placed small, brief kisses on the eye lids before moving to the forehead, the cheek, and then to pink lips. "Please?"

His heart blossomed as the blond nodded and the two kissed again before touching foreheads. "My room?" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke smiled and placed another kiss on Naruto's lips. "Your room," he agreed.

**~0~**

**I**t was storming when they reached Naruto's room, but they were both too lost in their passion for each other to notice. Tossing their shirts off, they clumsily made their way to the blond's bed and tripped over the clothing strewn on the floor. Landing on the bed with an audible 'oomph', Naruto laughed and pulled Sasuke in for another kiss.

"I want you," he breathed huskily. Sasuke smirked and after some fumbling with belt buckles, succeeded in pulling off both their pants, giving his lover another searing kiss. Their tongues played with each other and they separated briefly for air before joining lips once again. Their breaths for air became heavy, their audible pants sounding needy. They separated once more as Sasuke looked around the nightstand for something and his eyes lit up when he found a jar of lubricant.

He uncapped it and placed it next to the pillows before he found himself pulled into another kiss and happily complied. The Uchiha gently bit on Naruto's lower lip and was delighted to see the blond gasp. He planted small pecks on the other's jaw before trailing down the blond's neck and with his free hand began to tweak the hardening nipples.

Naruto arched his back and attempted to stifle a moan. His body felt like it was on fire and he looked at his lover, who was still leaving a trail of wet kisses down his torso, with passion. Sasuke lifted his head to sweep in for one more kiss. His hand cupped the blond's cock and he rubbed the tip with his thumb. Looking down at his lover writhe in pleasure, he couldn't help but grow harder and his want for the blond increased immeasurably. Slowly he blew on the head before enveloping the shaft with his mouth and made sure to look at all of Naruto's expressions as their act of love played out. He continued to lick the organ as his hand wandered to find the lubricant and dipped his fingers in the fluid. He let his tongue twirl around the head and hummed as he saw the blond throw his head back in pleasure and used that opportunity to insert his index finger into the blond.

Immediately, he felt the blond tense and he lightly probed, wiggling his finger from side to side until his lover relaxed. He inserted another finger and saw Naruto wince, feeling him tense again. He made small, slow scissoring motion with his fingers as to not hurt the blond more and claimed his lover's lips in another kiss. He chuckled as the blond made a face, realizing what the additional taste was and slowly pulled his fingers out. The two lovers kissed again and ground their hips together, their heavy breathing growing erratic as their penises touched. Sasuke bit back a moan, the contact leaving a tingling sensation in his spine. The friction between their shafts grew as they continued to grind and he kissed Naruto again.

"Sasuke, please…" Naruto managed to muster out, gasping and writhing in pleasure. "M – hah…More!"

Without further delay, the said prince broke their embrace and the loss of contact was dissatisfying. After lubricating himself, he carefully positioned himself and when he felt his lover tense, he used a hand to pump the blond's cock. Slowly, he entered and let out a throaty moan. He resisted the urge to thrust into the tight heat that was Naruto and slowly continued to slide in until he was completely enveloped. He let out harsh breaths and looked at the Uzumaki prince who had shut his eyes, tears showing. He leaned over to kiss the blond's eyelids and when they opened, he lost his breath in their dazzling colour.

"I love you," he whispered. Naruto smiled and planted a small peck on the other's lips.

"I love you too."

The two embraced in a passion-filled kiss and slowly Sasuke began to thrust. He started a slow, rhythmic pace, biting his lip to keep himself from going faster. He looked at Naruto, who had his eyes clenched and hands fisted in the silk sheets beneath them. Rotating his hips a little, he thrusted once more and smiled as the blond gasped in pleasure.

"_Sasuke!_"

The said man leaned forward and claimed his lover's lips once more as he continued to thrust. He felt Naruto shiver underneath him in pleasure, and was brought into another passionate kiss as the blond wrapped his arms around him, drawing them closer so no light would escape between their bodies.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, _Sasuke!_" Naruto continued to cry out. His breath was growing erratic, but he only concentrated on his lover, his soul mate, his Sasuke. The Uchiha continued to thrust into him and felt his beloved tighten as the blond came closer to release. He dipped his head down and left trails of kisses on the blond's collarbone as his thrusting grew faster, feeling his own release come close.

"Sasu_…hah_…Sasuke…_Ngh_!" Naruto struggled out. He swallowed the excess saliva that started to pool in his mouth and bit Sasuke's shoulder-blade as he felt a wave of pleasure build up inside him. "Sa…ke…I – _hah – _I love…you," he said before white flashed before his eyes. His body twitched as he released and buried his face in the crook of his lover's neck, to prevent any more pleasure-filled cries from escaping his lips. Sasuke grunted as he felt Naruto tense and clench around him before he too came. His body was stiff as he released inside Naruto before he collapsed on top of the blond.

The two remained in that position for a moment, as they tried to catch their breaths. Once Sasuke felt as if he had enough energy, he picked himself up and pulled himself out of the blond. Naruto felt his lover pull out and blushed as they disconnected with a small _pop_ before he felt something warm travel down the insides of his legs. Sasuke watched as a white trail of his semen trickled in between Naruto's legs and fought down his blush (and hardening member) and reached for the tissues on the bedside drawer. He wiped the blond and himself down, before laying beside his lover and gathering the prince in his arms. He placed a kiss upon Naruto's forehead and sighed.

The blond traced Sasuke's collarbone with a finger and placed a kiss upon the bite-mark that he had left when he was lost in pleasure before snuggling further into the Uchiha's warm chest. "No matter what, Sasuke, I'll always love you," he whispered. Naruto felt another kiss placed upon his forehead and smiled bitterly; couldn't fate be kinder to them?

Sasuke rested his head atop of his lover's, inhaling the scent that was Naruto. "Me too, Naruto. No matter what happens, I will always love you." They remained in their embrace and as Naruto was slowly drifting off to sleep, Sasuke chuckled, stirring him.

"What's so funny?"

"I just thought about how comfortable your bed is compared to the one in the guest room. Maybe it's because I'm with you." Naruto just laughed and lifted his face to give Sasuke a quick peck on the lips. He settled his head on Sasuke's chest, one more time, the _pitter-patter _of the rain from the storm causing his eyes to grow heavy with sleep.

_Maybe storms aren't so bad after all_, he though, yawning. _Because it was storming when I met first met Sasuke._ And that was the blond's last thought before sleep finally claimed him.

**~0~**

**N**aruto looked distastefully at his breakfast, rolling around the peas with his fork. He heard Sasuke give a chuckle and shot the Uchiha a glare before going back to moving the spited green vegetables around his plate. It was his lover's last day, and he _still _had to mess with his food?

"Your Highness Naruto," a voice came, startling Naruto out of his thoughts. He looked to the side to see a maid bowing, apologetic for scaring her young master. After regaining his composure, he nodded for her to continue. "His Highness' parents as well as the majesties, King and Queen Uchiha, are waiting for your company in the grand hall."

He scowled at the news, before smiling at her apologetically and sent her off. He looked at his plate and debated which one of the two were of the lesser evils; eating the peas or facing his parents?

"If you keep frowning, your face is going to get stuck like that. Which would be shameful for me," came a whisper by his ear. Naruto let out a pitiful shriek and jumped up, whirling his head around to see Sasuke smirking at him. He bristled in annoyance and looked away. If he weren't so in love with that smug Uchiha, he would have just punched the man's face in already. He felt Sasuke take his hand and looked up to meet his eyes. They both smiled before walking out of the dining hall and took a deep breath before entering the room where their parents awaited them.

Naruto felt his confidence wither as he was subjugated under the gaze of four of the greatest royals in the current era. He resisted the urge to hide behind Sasuke's back and reminded himself to stand tall, with his back straight. But hell, Sasuke's parents were _intimidating_.

"You must be Naruto. We've heard so many lovely things about you from your parents," Queen Uchiha welcomed warmly. Naruto bowed before he was brought back up in haste. "No need to do that now. And just called me Mikoto," she said, a smile in her eyes. She turned to her husband before facing Naruto again. "And this is Fugaku, my husband, and King of the Uchiha kingdom."

Naruto smiled and sent a bow in the visiting King's direction, feeling a little calmer after receiving a warm welcome.

He and Sasuke sat at a couch facing their parents and the room was silent before Fugaku coughed and shifted in his seat. "Let's get straight to the point, shall we? Have you two chosen your brides?"

Sasuke felt Naruto stiffen besides him, and the blond looked at the floor in panic. This was it, this was their last time together. The dream of waking next to the Uchiha in the morning shattered before his eyes and he clenched his fist, ignoring the gnawing pain that clawed at his heart.

"I…um…" Naruto mumbled, suddenly finding it difficult to breath.

"What's that? Speak up, boy." Minato sent a look at Fugaku, who met his gaze apologetically, before turning to his son.

"Naruto, speak a little more clearly so we can hear you better," he said gently. He knew Fugaku didn't mean to sound as harsh as he did, that was just how Uchihas were.

"I…" Naruto tried again before he felt Sasuke grasp his hand. He looked at the Uchiha prince, who suddenly stood up and pulled him up as well. "Sasuke, what are you doing?" he whispered in alarm. The said man ignored the blond and faced the two royal couples before him with an unwavering gaze.

"Father, mother," he started. "Your majesties, King and Queen Uzumaki," he continued, bowing before them. "We have not chosen any bride candidates, and although you may be disappointed in our decision, I cannot hide this any longer." His grasp of Naruto's hand tightened and the blond could tell how nervous his lover was.

"Naruto and I are in love, and I will not ask for forgiveness because I believe that being in love is not a sin to ask forgiveness of."

Naruto clenched his eyes shut and shuffled closer to Sasuke. This was it, their secret was out. He awaited the backlash and the screaming with his head down, but the room was silent. He peeked an eye open, curious if they had fainted in shock, only to see them all smiling. Confused, he picked up his head and looked at Sasuke, who looked just as confused.

"Sasuke…I'm proud of you, son." The two princes could only gape before Naruto found himself in a warm embrace by the queens.

"Ooh, I get to have such a cute son-in-law!"

"And I have such a handsome one!"

The two queens were hushed as Fugaku sent them a stern gaze, and Naruto attempted to pull out of the suffocating embrace, to no avail. Minato stood up and stood besides Fugaku, his smile warm.

"To be honest, you two were betrothed when I found out that Kushina was pregnant. But the plans went awry when we found out that Naruto was a guy. So we sent you here, Sasuke, in hopes that you guys could kindle a friendship. We never thought it'd turn into love."

"We came here after hearing from Itachi that you two were in a relationship to confirm it," Fugaku continued. Naruto successfully pulled away from the queens and went back to Sasuke's side, entwining their hands.

"…But what about the heirs to the thrones?" Sasuke asked, still in disbelief.

"With your marriage, we plan out joining the two kingdoms under two leaderships," Kushina answered.

"And as for heirs, Itachi already has a bundle of joy on the way," Mikoto added with a smile. The two royal couples looked at the princes, who were still in shock and smiled amongst themselves before shuffling out of the room. "We'll be on our way now, since duty calls. But let us know when the wedding is," Mikoto said, sending them a wink.

Their footsteps faded as they walked further away and Naruto collapsed onto the couch. _I…I can have a happy ending with Sasuke?_ He was brought out from his thoughts when he was suddenly picked up and encased in a tight embrace. He felt warm tears wet his shirt and wrapped his arms around his lover – his future husband – and buried his face into Sasuke's shoulder.

It seems fate had listened to them after all.

**~0~**

**7 months later**

**N**aruto shuffled on the bed to find a comfortable position before lifting up his hand to the light, admiring the ring on his left ring finger. He giggled like a teen in love and kissed the ring; he and Sasuke were wed that day. He felt the bed sink with extra weight and smiled as a kiss was placed on his cheek.

"Do you like the ring that much?" Sasuke asked warmly, before placing another kiss on Naruto's face. The blond shook his head, wanting to clarify why he was doting over the jewelry.

"It's not so much my love for the ring, but what the ring symbolizes. We're officially married now, Sasuke," he said and brought his husband into a deep kiss. Sasuke smirked when they broke apart and rested next to Naruto on the bed. He patted the mattress in thought before turning to his lover.

"Naruto, your bed is really comfortable," he said. Naruto nodded, wondering why Sasuke had said that again. It wasn't the first time he had mentioned the comfortableness that was his bed. "We should probably replace the guest room's mattress. It's really stiff and gave me bruises."

Suddenly, Naruto burst out laughing as he was reminded of the prank he pulled during their 'pea wars'. Sasuke looked at him curiously, wondering what brought up this laughing fit.

"There's nothing wrong with the mattress, Sasuke," he said, continuing to laugh. The Uchiha's brows furrowed.

"Yes there is, Naruto. I just told you, the mattress gave me bruises." He waited patiently for the blond to finish laughing, expecting an answer.

"No, there isn't. Remember when you first came and we had that stupid pea war? Well, as a last prank, I planted a pea under your mattress after hearing some rumours that Uchihas had really sensitive skin. I didn't think it'd actually work!" Sasuke gaped at the blond who burst out into laughter once again, before pinning the blond by the wrist against the bed. He couldn't believe he was bested! _Him_, Sasuke Uchiha!

"H-hey! Sasuke, what are you doing?" Naruto said, in-between his laughs. The said man gave a smirk and rubbed his knee against the blond's member, who let out a small moan. "Th-_ngh-_that's playing dirty, bastard," he struggled out, laughter forgotten.

Sasuke didn't answer and brought Naruto into deep kiss. "It's our wedding night, so we should follow tradition and try and get you pregnant, no?" he said coyly.

Naruto blushed hotly. "I'm a man, Sasuke! A _man_! I can't get pregnant! Let me g—" he was cut off as his husband brought him into another kiss and gave in for the night. He'd get the Uchiha back one day.

**L**ater that night, Naruto crawled out of bed and tip-toed to the guest room that Sasuke once occupied. After some effort, he lifted the mattress and quickly grabbed the pea before heading back to his room. He dug around his closet before finding an air-tight box and placed the pea inside the object before sealing it. He placed the display on the mantel above the fireplace in his room and quickly jotted something on a piece of paper, taping it to the display.

"Naruto…? What're you doing? C'mere," a voice said, sluggish with sleep. Naruto smiled and kissed the display before heading back to the bed and the welcoming embrace of his husband. He thought back to what was written on the paper before he drifted off to sleep.

_The start of a journey that ends in love between Sasuke and Naruto._

**~0~**

"**N**ow that, my children, is a true story," a man said, closing the book and kissing his son good night. He headed to the stand to blow the candle out, before he heard his son calling for him.

"Papa, do you think they're happy?" The man smiled and blew the candle out and walked to the door.

"I'm sure they are happy, son. If you want, you can ask your uncle; I'm sure he knows about the people in the story personally." And with those final words, he shut the door.

**~The End~**

**Finished July 25, 2011**

**Chibi Chidori's Nonsense:**

So, here is the companion story to The Prince and the Pea! It's really long, and I debated on if I should divide it into two parts or not, but I stuck with leaving it. This is not (story-wise) related to the first story that you guys read! It's a spin of the original "The Princess and the Pea" tale, although it really didn't follow the storyline much at all. It took a while to bring out, because I kept rewriting everything, but I hope you're happy with it! Especially my beta. This was meant to be out for her birthday, but it didn't really work out that way. ^^;;

And now, I can finally conclude "The Prince and the Pea" series. Thank you very much for all your support!

Reviews are always welcome!


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